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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre pegs FY35 peak power demand at 446 GW; calls for prepaid meters, transmission upgrades
New Delhi: The Centre on Friday said that India's peak electricity demand is projected to reach 446 GW by 2034–35 and called on States to ensure timely tie-ups of power generation capacity, complete installation of prepaid smart meters in government offices by August 2025, and resolve transmission-related issues to meet future demand sustainably. Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, chairing the Regional Conference for Northern Region States and Union Territories in Chandigarh, said India successfully met a peak demand of 250 GW in May 2024 and the peak demand shortage is currently zero. He said India's power system has evolved into a unified national grid, fulfilling the vision of 'One Nation-One Grid', and stressed on coordinated action between the Centre and States to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The meeting was attended by Anil Vij (Energy Minister, Haryana), Harbhajan Singh (Power Minister, Punjab), Subodh Uniyal (Forest Minister, Uttarakhand), A K Sharma (Energy Minister, Uttar Pradesh), Ashish Sood (Power Minister, Delhi), Javed Ahmad Rana (Minister of Jal Shakti, Environment & Forest & Tribal Affairs, Jammu & Kashmir), and Heeralal Nagar (Minister of State for Energy, Rajasthan), along with the Union Power Secretary, state energy secretaries, CMDs of Central and State utilities, and senior officials from the Ministry of Power. The Union Minister emphasised the need to ensure resource adequacy and long-term power generation capacity tie-ups , including addition of nuclear power. He said States should work towards resolving issues in intra-state transmission projects, including Right of Way (RoW) constraints, and explore financing options such as multilateral institutions. He informed that ₹1.5 lakh crore has been allocated in the Union Budget 2025–26 as 50-year interest-free loans to support capital expenditure by States, which can be utilised to strengthen transmission infrastructure. He advised States to promote renewable energy with storage to ensure reliable power supply and implement Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) Guidelines. He said the share of renewable energy in India's total installed capacity has increased from 32 per cent in 2014 to 49 per cent in April 2025 and recommended formation of dedicated teams in States for critical renewable planning. He also highlighted the importance of cyber-security protocols and islanding schemes as preventive measures to ensure grid resilience and mitigate cyber threats. On the distribution sector, the Minister said it remains the most critical link in the power value chain but faces challenges due to poor tariff structures, inefficient billing and collection, and delays in payment of government dues and subsidies. He said reducing AT&C losses and the gap between Average Cost of Supply and Average Revenue is essential, and asked States to engage with Electricity Regulatory Commissions (ERCs) for cost-reflective tariffs and timely issuance of tariff and true-up orders. He said that losses incurred by utilities raise the cost of power for consumers and weaken service delivery, with cascading financial impact. He asked distribution utilities to expedite infrastructure and smart metering works under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme. He added that several States have pending dues from FY24 and gaps are more apparent in FY25, calling for timely settlement of dues to support the financial health of utilities. The minister said pre-paid smart meters are key to timely realisation of government department dues and asked States to saturate installation of prepaid smart meters in all government establishments, including government colonies, by August 2025. He also directed States to complete installation of smart meters for commercial, industrial, and high-load consumers by November 2025. He said smart meters can transform consumer-utility interactions using data analytics based on AI and ML tools and enable consumers to benefit from inbuilt features in the smart meter application. He assured States of continued support from the Central Government and said that all stakeholders must work together to ensure 'Power for All, at All Times'. Secretary (Power), Government of India, said States must ensure necessary generation capacity tie-ups aligned with resource adequacy plans till FY2035. He said arrangements must also be made to develop intra-state and inter-state transmission capacity through financing models such as Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB), Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM), infrastructure support under Budget 2026, or monetisation of assets. He said power sector infrastructure, including transmission and distribution systems, must be secured against cyber threats and that States should implement cyber-security protocols and islanding schemes. He also advised States to work towards ensuring the financial viability of distribution utilities.
Business Standard
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India to participate in BRICS Energy Ministers meeting in Brazil
Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, has embarked on an official visit to Brazil to attend the BRICS Energy Ministers Meeting scheduled for 19th May. Under the theme Empowering Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Global Governance, the Minister will engage in discussions with Energy Ministers of BRICS nations on crucial issues such as energy security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability. India, in this meeting, will showcase its achievements over the past decade, including a 90% increase in power capacity, leadership in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and biofuels, as well as innovations and sustainable development in the energy sector. The country will also reaffirm its commitment to ensuring equitable access to energy and accelerating the energy transition.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre asks western states to ensure capacity tie-ups till FY2035, focus on smart metering and power islanding
New Delhi: The ministry of power on Tuesday asked western region states to plan capacity tie-ups in line with the national resource adequacy framework up to FY2035 and to expedite installation of pre-paid smart meters in government premises by August 2025. This was conveyed during the regional conference for western region states held in Mumbai in the presence of Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik, Goa Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Gujarat Energy Minister Kanubhai Desai, and Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar via video conference. Maharashtra Minister of State for Energy Meghana Sakore Bordikar also participated. Senior officials from the Ministry of Power, state power secretaries and CMDs of central and state utilities were present. The Power Secretary, Government of India, stressed the need for timely capacity tie-ups and development of inter- and intra-state transmission infrastructure through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB), regulated tariff mechanism (RTM), budgetary support or asset monetization. He also called for immediate implementation of cybersecurity protocols and preparation of power islanding schemes by all states. Union minister Manohar Lal emphasised the importance of ensuring resource adequacy and planning necessary storage through Pumped Storage Projects and Battery Energy Storage Systems. He said, 'We must enhance nuclear power generation capacity to 100 GW by 2047.' He also underlined the need for special green energy zones to enable progress toward net zero emissions. Highlighting the financial distress in the power distribution sector, the minister said that high AT&C losses , non-cost reflective tariffs, and delays in government dues and subsidies have strained DISCOMs. He urged states to ensure timely subsidy payments and implement smart metering infrastructure under the RDSS. He said Gujarat, Goa and Chhattisgarh have made progress in reducing AT&C losses and added that states must prioritise prepaid smart meter installation in government offices and colonies, aiming for completion by August 2025. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra is focusing on improving power reliability and has plans to reduce AT&C losses, and sought central government assistance in restructuring DISCOM debts. The conference concluded with states requesting continued central government support to further improve the power sector.
