HYDERABAD: Days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had said he wanted to take energy conservation steps by encouraging installation of power-saving bulbs and pumpsets to bail the State out of severe power crisis, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), an affiliate of the Union Ministry of Power, on Monday agreed to extend support to the State government in undertaking energy conservation activities.
EESL, which is a joint venture of NTPC Limited, Power Grid, REC and Power Finance Corporation (PFC), came forward to help AP in replacing inefficient lighting systems in government buildings, corporations and municipalities. It also promised to extend support to the State government in replacing inefficient pumpsets with energy-efficient ones.
Following Naidu’s request to the Union Energy Ministry to help the State in taking measures to conserve electricity, a three-member team of EESL headed by its managing director Saurabh Kumar on Monday came to Hyderabad and had a meeting with special chief secretary (energy) Ajay Jain and officials of AP TRANSCO and AP GENCO.
During the meeting, the EESL team reviewed the measures taken by the government on energy conservation. The TRANSCO and GENCO officials apprised the team about the steps being taken up for implementing energy efficiency activities in the State.
According to sources, during the meeting, the delegation was told by the officials of GENCO and TRANSCO that the state was reeling under severe power crisis. Following this, the team told the State officials to take immediate measures to conserve energy.
The team assured that it would provide ISI marked pumpsets and supply five lakh LED streetlights to be fitted in 24 municipalities as part of energy conservation free of cost. For the domestic sector the LED bulbs which cost about `400 in the market, will be supplied by the EESL to the State at just `10.
Citing the the reports of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, the EESL delegation felt that there is scope for saving around 20 per cent of energy in domestic, agriculture and industrial sectors in the State.
SECM Gets EESL Rap
The three-member delegation of EESL is understood to have criticised the State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) for not implementing energy conservation measures. Taking serious note of the power situation in AP, the delegation sought to know why SECM had failed to take measures to reduce the transmission and distribution losses.
Rs 1,000-crore Boost for AP
EESL agreed to invest Rs 1,000 crore in AP for implementing energy conservation measures. As part of this, the Central government undertaking will supply LED bulbs to 24 municipalities/municipal corporations across AP. The 24 municipalities/municipal corporations are: Bhimavaram, Narsapur, Palakollu, Tadepalligudem, Tanuku, Kakinada, Tuni, Chirala, Ongole, Guntur, Narsaraopeta, Tenali, Nellore, Anantapur, Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Tadipatri, Hindpur, Madanapalli, Tirupati, Kurnool, Adoni, Nandayal, and Yemminganur.