Uttar Pradesh to invest Rs 20,000 cr in improving power transmission infra

State peak hour power demand estimated to jump 35% to 30,000 mw by 2024

The Uttar Pradesh government plans to invest Rs 20,000 crore in five years for improving power transmission, seeking to provide uninterrupted electricity to industries as it aims to become a $1-trillion economy.

It's estimated that the peak hour energy demand in the state will increase by more than 35 per cent from 22,000 megawatt (mw) at present to nearly 30,000 mw by 2024. 

In 2016, the peak hour power demand was only 16,500 mw. The policy of electrifying all households in the urban and rural areas, coupled with incremental demand is pushing up the power consumption in the state.

According to UP energy minister Shrikant Sharma, the government had already increased power transmission capacity 60% from 15,000 mega volt amp (MVA) in 2017 to the current level of 24,000 mva.

“We are working on a blueprint based on projected power demand in 2032,” Sharma said on Sunday at an event on ‘power and renewable energy’, which was organised as part of a foundation-laying ceremony of industrial projects totalling Rs 65,000 crore.

He said power was the backbone of industry and Uttar Pradesh was committed to providing 24 hour power supply to industrial areas. “The government is working on all the aspects of power matrix including generation, transmission and distribution,” said Sharma.

The state is working on two-pronged strategy of increasing power generation and cutting generation cost. The plant load factor of state run power generation units have jumped 13.8% to 78.83% over the last 2 years, Sharma said.

“The state power grid capacity has also jumped from 18,000 mw in 2016 to more than 24,000 mw. Similarly, power import capacity of grid has increased to 12,850 mw from 8,700 mw in 2017.” 

The minister further announced by 2021, prepaid and smart electricity meters would be installed at premises of all rural and urban power consumers respectively. Over the past 2 years, nearly 11 million households in UP were provided with power supply under the central Saubhagya scheme, while more than 1,78,000 hamlets were electrified.