State to invest ₹1.4 lakh crore to meet power demand

MUMBAI: Maharashtra's power needs are expected to grow to 45,000 MW by 2035. To cope with the demand, the state government has drawn up a slew of measures, revealed chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after attending a conference of power ministers from the western states in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Fadnavis said that the current power demand of the state was 30,659 MW, which is expected to reach around 45,000 MW by 2035. 'The state government is making every effort to ensure that the future demand is fulfilled,' he said. A ₹65,000-crore plan has been drawn up to strengthen the distribution system, along with another investment of ₹75,000 crore in the transmission sector.'
The chief minister added that measures had also been taken to procure adequate electricity to meet the increased summer demand. 'Agreements have been made to ensure the availability of 2,683 MW of power from thermal power stations, 1,170 MW from hydropower and 35,170 MW from renewable sources,' he said. 'Additionally, 4,574 MW of storage capacity has been planned to meet non-solar peak time demand.'
Fadnavis urged the central government to cooperate in the initiative to make solar energy affordable and help maintain grid stability. He also called for the implementation of the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) 2.0 scheme in Maharashtra. UDAY is a financial restructuring plan for the country's power distribution companies (DISCOMs), which aims to improve their financial health and operational efficiency, ultimately ensuring a reliable and sustainable electricity supply for consumers.
Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also attended the power ministers' conference, asked Maharashtra and other states to focus on smart meter projects for electricity distribution. 'Power distribution companies should implement efficiency-enhancing measures like infrastructure development and smart metering under the Reforms-based, Results-linked Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS),' he said, and instructed the states to prioritise prepaid smart meters in all government establishments.
Others who attended the conference were Shripad Naik, union minister of state for power and new & renewable energy, and the power ministers of Goa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

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