CHENNAI: Amid growing electricity demand and repeated attempts to secure power at lower rates, the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has once again invited bids for short-term power procurement of around 17,000 MW to meet the state’s electricity requirements between January and June 2027.
According to the tender notice accessed by TNIE, the power utility plans to procure 2,000 MW from January 18 to 31, 2027, followed by 3,000 MW in February. The proposed procurement will be increased to 3,500 MW each in March and April before being reduced to 2,500 MW in May and the first half of June. The power will be procured round the clock, and the tender has stipulated a minimum bidding quantum of 20 MW from each power source.
A senior TNPDCL official told TNIE that the utility had recently invited bids from private power generators with the objective of procuring electricity at competitive rates. However, several bidders quoted exorbitant prices ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 42 per unit, forcing the utility to drop the proposal and cancel the tenders.
“Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar has also made it clear that the discom will not purchase electricity at high rates. We are making fresh attempts to secure power at lower prices,” the official said.
According to the utility’s demand projections for 2027, the state’s evening peak power requirement is expected to cross 24,000 MW between July and September. The power deficit is also projected to touch 6,162 MW in September, the official said.
TN recorded its highest-ever power demand of 21,724 MW on July 14, 2026. However, the demand is expected to surpass this record in April 2027, when the peak requirement is projected to reach 23,124 MW, with a likely deficit of 3,933 MW.
