
CHENNAI: Electricity demand in Tamil Nadu is expected to touch 22,000 MW during summer and steps are being taken to ensure uninterrupted supply, Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji said on Friday.
Talking to reporters after holding a review meeting with bureaucrats at TNEB headquarters, Balaji said the state recorded its highest-ever demand of 20,830 MW on May 2, 2024. “During Cyclone Fengal, a total of 12,265 electricity poles were damaged, but they were replaced in record time. Ahead of summer, we have identified overloading issues in 6,536 transformers across the state, of which 5,407 have already been fixed. The remaining will be addressed soon,” Balaji said.
The minister also said Minnagam, the consumer call centre, received 2,312 complaints in January alone. He urged officials to take steps to reduce the number of calls.
On the government’s promise to introduce monthly electricity billing, Balaji said, “The smart meter tender was cancelled recently due to price differences between bidders and TNEB. However, we have restarted the process to float new tenders. Once the installation is complete across the state, we will implement monthly billing.”
Talking about renewable energy initiatives, Balaji said, “TNEB will soon float tenders for pumped storage projects with a combined capacity of 14,500 MW and battery storage systems with a 1,000 MW capacity. These projects are awaiting approval from the finance department.” The state government is also planning to establish solar parks in all districts, he added.