Hike in power tariff will have adverse impact: Madras Chamber

The recent 15 per cent increase in power tariff by the Tamil Nadu government would have an "adverse impact" on industries by driving up operating costs, the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry said today.
"The Chamber believes that this move will send out wrong signals, especially at a time when Tamil Nadu is competing with other destinations in attracting new investments to the state," the Chamber said in a statement.
Noting that the Chamber was well aware of the need to increase the tariff, considering the hike in fuel costs,i t said "..The Chamber feels that the Government should implement the tariff hike in a fair manner, across all stakeholders".

Industries need "uninterrupted power supply" and it is possible to do proper scheduling and forecasting of renewable energy, a resource available in plenty in Tamil Nadu, it said.
"The state government and TANGEDCO need to work towards long-term strategies in terms of of grid power, added generation capacities, inter-state transmission capacity to import cheap power from electricity surplus states, beefing up intra-state transmission to ensure evacuation of wind generation within the State and give a fillip to wind power industry", the statement said.
Last week the Tamil Nadu Energy Regulatory Commission announced a 15 per cent increase in power tariff for consumers across all segments, including both domestic and commercial.