Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has instructed the officials not to burden the people by increasing electricity charges, reduce energy costs, provide quality electricity to the people at low prices and to give priority to alternative sources of income. He clarified that the unit electricity purchase price should be limited to Rs. 4.80, estimating that Rs. 7,000 crore can be earned by leasing the fiber network of APTRANSCO.
While reviewing the power sector, he said that Andhra Pradesh should be placed at the forefront of renewable energy and the state should be developed as a green energy corridor keeping in mind the contemporary needs. The future lies with energy, the CM clarified. Amidst the expectation that electricity consumption will increase by 8.9% in the next 2-3 years, he suggested that renewable energy should be produced to meet the needs.
Chandrababu also said that production should be made more efficient by using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Currently, the power distribution loss in the state is 9 percent. The CM is focused on reducing this. He said that losses can be reduced by improving the management of feeders and generating electricity locally and consuming it in the same area.
Stating that the energy auditing system implemented earlier will be brought back to the fore, he said that this will be key to reducing power theft and inefficiency. While the cost of thermal power is between Rs. 5-6, wind power is only Rs. 4.6. With this, he clarified that green energy is the most beneficial path.
Chandrababu said that there are opportunities for 65 gigawatts of wind power in the state and there are favorable conditions for pumped energy projects in Rayalaseema. All these should be developed quickly, he suggested. He directed that the PM Suryagarh Solar Scheme should be expanded to at least 10,000 houses in each constituency.
He said that he would review this scheme every month. He clarified that no smart meters should be installed for agricultural families. He suggested that Predictive Maintenance technology should be used to replace old power lines and avoid accidents. Chandrababu’s aim is to provide electricity to the people without any hassle. He said that all ways should be examined to achieve this.
