VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary (Energy) K Vijayanand conducted a high-level virtual review meeting on Saturday, emphasising the need for collective efforts to ensure nine hours of free power for agriculture and an uninterrupted 24x7 power supply for all consumers as electricity demand rises ahead of summer.
He reviewed ongoing power projects, renewable energy plans, and smart meter installations while directing officials to expedite agricultural connections and strengthen power infrastructure.
The government has sanctioned 40,000 new agricultural connections, of which 12,846 have been released. He instructed officials to accelerate the release of the remaining connections. He urged APTRANSCO, APGENCO, DISCOMs, and other power entities to fast-track project execution while maintaining reliability and efficiency.
He projected that peak power demand in summer will reach around 13,700 megawatts, with daily electricity consumption expected to hit 260 million units. He stressed the importance of APGENCO generating a major portion of the required power, assuring the State support in coal procurement and transportation. He also advised power procurement through swap agreements, Independent Power Producers, and short-term purchases to minimise the burden on consumers.
On renewable energy, Vijayanand highlighted the State’s commitment to adding 72.6 GW of renewable capacity over six years, including 40 GW of solar, 20 GW of wind, 12 GW of pumped storage, and 0.6 GW of bio-energy.
The State has already approved clean energy projects worth Rs 85,727 crore, encompassing 1,376 MW of solar and wind, 1 MMTPA of green hydrogen, and 11,000 TPD of compressed biogas production.
Additionally, the Ministry of Power has tentatively agreed to allocate a 1,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, with the State requesting an additional 1,000 MW/2,000 MWh capacity.
Vijayanand also reviewed infrastructure developments, noting that APTRANSCO has commissioned multiple substations and transmission lines, including a 400/220 kV Gas Insulated Substation at Tallayapalem in Guntur district, and 220/132/33 kV substations in Kurnool and Chittoor districts. Several 132 kV and 220 kV transmission lines have been completed in Kakinada, West Godavari, and Anantapur districts.
He reported that over 2,34,019 smart meters have been installed under APEPDCL and 51,107 under APCPDCL’s RDSS scheme.
Commending progress under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Vijayanand noted that 9,702 rooftop solar installations with a cumulative capacity of 34,465 kW have been completed across various DISCOMs.