BHUBANESWAR: As the State slowly emerges from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odisha government on Tuesday directed the utilities to ensure uninterrupted quality power supply to rural and industrial sectors.
In a big leap from the deficit power situation of the 1990s, Odisha is now a power surplus state. Besides, Odisha has also taken significant strides in production of green energy.
Reviewing the progress in power production from different sources by video conference from the Lokseba Bhavan, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy directed the Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO) to adopt more effective commercial strategies for the sale of available power.
Industry and Energy departments were also asked to motivate newly coming up industries to source power from GRIDCO with assurance of timely and quality power supply.
The Chief Secretary also directed the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) to explore the possibilities of producing more hydro power from existing dams having no submergence, land acquisition and displacement issues.
Giving details about the power generation situation, GRIDCO MD Trilochan Panda said that the total output reached 3,489 MW during 2019-20 financial year including 2,468 MW from thermal, 854 MW from hydro and 167 MW from non-conventional renewable sources.
The average yearly demand of the State comes to around 3,200 MW. However, with current expansion in rural electrification and industrialisation, the power demand is likely to increase in the coming years. Keeping this in view, GRIDCO is all set to generate around 4,300 MW of power during 2020-21.
Official sources said that power production from hydro sources has increased from 695 MW in 2010-11 to 854 MW in 2019-20. Power generation from non-conventional renewable energy (RE) sources also increased from 664 MW in 2019-20 to 1,079 MW in 2020-21. The Chief Secretary asked the Energy department to increase generation from RE sources to 1,500 MW during 2021-22.
The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission has set Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) of Odisha at 11 per cent for 2021-22. With achievement of the targeted 1,500 MW from RE sources, the total production from renewable sources will cross the RPO of the State.