HYDERABAD: The Telangana power sector created two records on Friday. It registered the highest power demand ever in the State and created a national record in per capita power consumption. On Friday, Telangana surpassed united Andhra Pradesh’s peak power demand of 13,162 MW within six years of its formation. The highest peak demand of undivided AP was recorded on March 23, 2014, just a few months before the formation of the separate Telangana.
The demand for power was just 9,770 MW in Telangana on February 28, 2019. Compared to the last year, there is an increase of 24 per cent in power consumption this year. The reason for the rapid increase in power demand is primarily due to the State government’s pro-farmer initiatives like 24-hour free power supply to tillers, construction of massive lift irrigation schemes and growth of industries due to new industrial policy.
Secondly, the State also set a record in the highest per capita power consumption. At the time of formation of Telangana, the highest demand for power was just 5,661 MW. There is a whopping 132.6 per cent growth in demand in just 67 months.
POWER CONSUMPTION HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY
Along with the highest demand, power consumption is also on the rise in the State. In 2014, the total power consumption was 47, 338 million units (MU). The power consumption was 68,147 MU in 2018-19. In the last six years, there has been an increase of 44 per cent in consumption. For the same period, i.e., 2014-2019, the country’s average consumption increased by only 23 per cent.
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
Across the globe, the per capita power consumption is taken as one of the main indicators for growth. In this case, Telangana exceeded the nation’s average. The country’s average per capita power consumption is 1,181 units while in Telangana it is 1,896 units. The average per capita consumption at the time of formation of State was 1,356 units and it has increased by 39.82 per cent in six years.