Tamil Nadu to buy 3,000 mw from other states

TANGEDO (Tamil Nadu power Generation and Distribution Corporation) has an installed power generation capacity of 11,885 mw in the central and state power units in addition to another 8220 mw from non-conventional energy sources like bio gas and wind energy. 

Though peak power demand touched 14,538 mw on February 24, the last 10 days have witnessed peak power demand touching 14,000 mw on an average, officials said. 

“With thermal units generating to their installed capacity, talks are underway to purchase 3,000 mw from central power units in Chattisgarh and Gujarat,” sources added. 

In Chennai, day time peak power demand is mainly due to air-conditioners which require more power. Retailers are using many schemes to promote sale of AC units and this has pushed up demand for power. “Restrictions will be placed on high tension (HT) units to ensure that low tension (LT) consumers are unaffected,” sources added. 

However, TANGEDCO has no plans to divert power from the districts (which suffered upto 12-hour power cuts) to Chennai as happened towards the end of the DMK regime five years ago. The then power minister Arcot Veerasamy had accepted at a public meeting that diversion of power supply was a major reason for DMK losing the elections. 

Though officials were banking on mid-summer showers to reduce day time temperatures and thereby reduce power demand, this may not be possible this year as the meteorological department has ruled out any major rainfall. Agriculture pump sets consume between 500 and 600 mw on average. This power will be diverted when pump sets fall silent as water level in wells falls due to continuous operations.