CHENNAI: Electricity minister V Senthil Balaji on Friday said TN Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) would soon issue an order on the power tariff petition since the Madras High Court gave it the green signal. He was addressing reporters after a monsoon-preparedness meeting at Tangedco head office here.
Though the appointment of a legal member to TNERC was not necessary, it was underway nonetheless, he said, adding that tariff revision was essential for Tangedco’s development. MSMEs’ demand to reduce fixed charges, however, would be addressed.
Monsoon power supply
Senthil Balaji said he ordered Tangedco officials to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during monsoon. A total of 1.4 lakh poles, 9,500 metres of power lines, and three lakh insulators have been readied for monsoon works.
On the 316 new substations planned across TN, he said Tangedco identified land for 242 substations and prepared a detailed project report for 138, which would be built at Rs 7,525 crore. “We got the administrative approval, and the tender process will begin soon.”
He further said Tangedco would install windmills with a generating capacity of 42 megawatt (MW) and solar panels for 63 MW. For solar parks, 3,273 acres had been identified in a few districts.
On the missing coal at Thoothukudi and North Chennai thermal stations, he said that they received a preliminary report and that the case would be transferred to Tangedco’s vigilance wing.