HYDERABAD: Telangana recorded the highest-ever power demand of 13,688 MW on March 26, just days after it witnessed the previous peak demand of 13,562 MW on March 19. Prior to that, the State’s peak power demand of 13,168 MW was recorded back in February, 2020.
With the State set to experience high temperatures this summer, the TS Transco is expecting the demand for power to go up further in the coming days but it, however, assured that there will not be any interruption in power supply. “There are no power cuts in the State and there will be no power cuts in future even if the demand for power increases further,” averred TS Transco and TS Genco Chairman and Managing Director D Prabhakar Rao.
He said that the power utility augmented the distribution and transmission network so that there would no problem in power supply even if the demand touches 17,000 MW.Stating that the State government has been supplying 5,000 MW power for agriculture, the highest ever in the country, Prabhakar Rao said: “We are well prepared to provide uninterrupted power supply to all categories of consumers even if the demand increases further.”
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been monitoring the power supply situation on a regular basis, he added. Meanwhile, TSSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy said: “In March last year, the power demand in the GHMC area was 1,700 MW. It has now gone up to 2,760 MW. We are anticipating that the demand for power in GHMC area may touch 3,000 MW in future.”
TSNPDCL Chairman and Managing Director A Gopal Rao said that there was 5,042 MW demand in NPDCL area, 40 per cent of which was from agriculture sector. The reasons behind the increase in power demand was operation of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and also providing irrigation water under Nagarjuna Sagar left canal. According to officials, 30 MW power is being provided to three Amzaon data centres. With the start of new industries in the State also resulted in increase of power. The power demand also increased due to the increase of rice mills due to bumper paddy production in the State.
The officials also averred that they were alert to new challenges and also ensuring that cyber attacks did not impact the power supply. “We are in touch with the cyber experts,” said Transco Joint Managing Director C Srinivas Rao said.