The state’s power woes are set to continue this year as close to 4,500 to 5,000 Million Units (MU) will have to be purchased in order to tide over the shortage. Earlier, energy sector officials had pegged the shortage at around 1,200 mw which was due to impact power supply from June 15 onwards.
With options like the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant not being able to save the state in time and the purchased energy not being available due to a lack of evacuation corridors, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited
(KPTCL) officials are pegging their hopes on a normal monsoon this year which will enable them to increase hydel generation.
Last year, according to a survey under the 12th Five Year Plan, the state faced a shortage of 9,320 MU.
This shortage is generally attributed to the reduction in hydel generation owing to poor rainfall in the past two years. Short-term power purchase, which is one of the options for the state, is likely to be a major financial strain on the government since tariffs will shoot through the roof.
Even power purchased from co-generation companies will cost around `8 per unit as the cost of the companies breaking their contract would have to be borne by the state. For BESCOM, the implementation of the Open Delta System has resulted in saving of 0.8 MU per day.