With Punjab witnessing exponential growth in electricity consumption this year, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked the state government to make a futuristic calculation of power demand. electricity and explore ways to improve the state’s electricity generation.

Khattar, who held a meeting with a delegation of the Punjab government here last evening, asked senior officials present at the meeting to increase thermal and renewable power generation in the state.

Sources in the state power department said that although the Union minister stressed on the need to ensure that 43 per cent of the state’s energy demand is met through power generation. clean energy by 2029-30, he also asked the delegation to examine ways and means to improve thermal energy. energy production.

Sources in the government said they highlighted the recent acquisition of the Goindwal Sahib power plant by the state government from a private company (GVK Power), which increased the installed capacity of the state for thermal energy production from 1,760 MW initially to 2,300 MW now. .

The state government delegation, led by three ministers, including Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, pleaded for the Center to set up thermal power plants at coal mines, rather than setting up power plants here and to incur enormous costs for transporting coal. to Punjab from coal-producing states.

The meeting, however, revived hopes that the state would set up two supercritical thermal power generation units at Lehra Mohabbat. Since the cost of constructing these units is very high (over Rs 6 crore per MW), the proposal has been “under consideration” for a long time.

At present, the total installed power generation capacity in the state is 14,843 MW. While 2,300 MW is produced by thermal power plants at Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar, the state produces 2,300 MW of hydropower and receives its share of 1,141 MW from the BBMB. Other than that. Punjab produces 2,879 MW of electricity through solar power plants, biogas plants, etc. The state now plans to install 66 new solar power plants, each with a capacity of 4 MW.

This year, electricity demand in the state reached a record high of 16,000 MW during the peak summer months. In 2023, the average electricity demand during peak summer months was 15,000 MW, with a peak of 15,350 MW. The highest daily energy demand this year was 16,080 MW.

To meet this demand, the state had to purchase additional electricity from the power exchange, leading to huge costs. With climate change leading to intense summers and increasing demand for electricity in the agriculture sector, the Center wants the state to explore ways to increase its power generation.

Plea for post-paid meters refused

The Punjab government has reportedly sought permission to install post-paid meters, instead of pre-paid meters, under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). The demand, however, was rejected by the delegation led by Union Power Minister Khattar.