CHENNAI: According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), among major cities in the country, Hyderabad tops the chart with a power demand of 4,479 MW, followed by Chennai with 4,383 MW in the current fiscal year (2023-24). CEA also forecasts Chennai’s power consumption climbing to 4,576 MW in the 2024-25 fiscal.
"Due to the growing population and industrialization, Chennai has a higher power demand compared to other districts in Tamil Nadu. While the state’s average daily power demand is 15,000 MW, Chennai alone requires 2,750 MW. On May 16 this year, the city’s power demand crossed 4,000 MW for the first time and on June 16 it reached a record high of 4,300 MW,” a senior official told TNIE.
"Even though the city’s power demand has been gradually increasing each year, Tangedco’s power generation remains inadequate. Currently, the utility generates only 40% of its power, while the remaining 60% is met through private purchases, resulting in significant costs,” said E Natarajan, state general secretary of the BMS union (engineers’ wing).
"In the last few years, only 13 substations have been constructed and put into operation across the state. Currently, there are 1,076 substations in the state. When compared to power distribution needs, this number of substations falls short. Therefore, Tangedco should concentrate on building more substations to meet the future demand,” Natarajan added. He also urged the utility to promote the installation of solar panels on buildings in Chennai by providing subsidies. Currently, the central government provides a 40% subsidy for the same.