VIJAYAWADA: After unveiling a policy for exporting renewable energy, the state energy department is contemplating an energy conservation policy to achieve energy security, cost effective power and strengthen the beleaguered power sector on the whole. Of the total annual energy demand of 66,000 million units (MU) across all categories, the department has identified a potential to save 14,494 MU, which would translate to monetary savings of Rs 8,600 crore.
The department is planning to take views of the Central government agencies like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), prominent institutes such as The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) and the Central Board of Irrigation and Power and Alliance for Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), and other stakeholders to formulate the policy. By encouraging the adoption of latest energy conservation and energy efficient technology in both public and private sectors, the state government expects to formulate sector-wise energy conservation programmes through the policy, the officials said.
Industries, building sector, municipalities, agriculture, transport, power utilities, commercial and residential sectors are the major areas of focus to implement the energy efficiency measures.Energy secretary Srikant Nagulapalli said the state government was considering energy as the prime driver of economic growth. “Energy efficiency is one of the most powerful tools to achieve the objective of government to make state as the destination for cost-effective power. Every consumer and industry in the state will benefit from it. It will promote growth, job creation and fulfil energy needs,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
By saving about 22 per cent (14,494 MU) of the total annual energy demand of 66,000 MU at Rs 6 per unit, the state has a potential to save Rs 8,600 crore every year, the officials added. In view of this, the department is mulling to promulgate an energy conservation policy that helps the state to use energy efficiently, avoid its wasteful use without much investment.
The officials have also explained the need for being energy efficient to Minister for Energy Balineni Srinivasa Reddy. The state has achieved an estimated energy savings of 2,029 MU (14 per cent) of the total energy saving potential (14494 MU) so far. “A large demand of energy may be generated in future in Andhra Pradesh due to growing agriculture activity, industrialisation and urbanisation to an extent,” they explained.