VIJAYAWADA: In the wake of surging Covid-19 cases and intensified vaccination drive, power utilities have prepared an action plan to ensure uninterrupted power supply in view of the increasing demand, which touched a new daily high of 234 million units on April 2, energy secretary Srikant Nagulapalli has said.
He added the government and power utilities are content with the substantial increase in demand as it is an indication of growing economic activity.
“As the government has actively taken up the vaccination drive, the power utilities have laid special focus on power supply to healthcare services,” he said, while addressing employees at an event to mark the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar Jayanti here on Wednesday.
Instructions have been passed on from chairpersons and managing directors of the discoms to the field functionaries to prioritise power supply to domestic users, health and medical services (Covid-19 vaccination centres in particular), agriculture, and other essential services.
The daily power consumption in Andhra Pradesh reached a new high of 233.98 MU on April 2, and the average for the first nine days of the month stood at 224 MU—about 18 per cent increase from 189 MU in the corresponding period in 2019.
The annual electricity demand is expected to cross 64,000 MU this year, and the power utilities have made necessary arrangements to reach the demand, the energy secretary said and added the government has asked the utilities to be ready to supply quality, reliable and interruption-free power to all sectors in the state.
Following the directions, the utilities are fully prepared to meet the expectations of the government and supply 24x7 quality power to every home, commercial establishment and industry, he added.On the other hand, the state government asked the power utilities to focus on global best practices to improve power sector, according to officials.
The utilities have been implementing high-level cost optimisation measures, which resulted in significant monetary savings of about `1,023 crore up to December, 2020, they added.