The power utilities of Telangana were forced to resort to load shedding for the first time since December 2018, when 24x7 power supply to agriculture sector was launched for the first time in the country, as their efforts to purchase power in Indian Energy Exchange (IEE) were scuttled in the name of ₹147 crore dues to a solar power producer.
As a result, the utilities could not procure the energy required in tune with the anticipated demand a day in advance, as is the practice in the energy sector, on Saturday for Sunday in spite of clearing the dues an hour before the closing time for bidding. The power producer which was credited the amount online was supposed to withdraw its defaulter notice served on Telangana Discoms in the National Load Dispatch Centre immediately delayed its withdrawal till closing time for bidding.
“The withdrawal of the notice was delayed, in spite of our repeated phone calls, till 1.30 p.m. wilfully with an intention to create problems in Telangana’s supply of 24x7 quality energy to all categories of consumers as Telangana is the only State in the country now providing uninterrupted supply to all consumers”, Chairman and Managing Director of TS-Genco and TS-Transco D. Prabhakar Rao said.
Although the power utilities resorted to spot purchases of energy in IEE, which is done for evert 15-minute slot, to meet the demand they had to resort to load shedding by asking Kaleshwaram Project lifts to stop drawing power till Monday forenoon. “In spite of spot purchase, there was a shortage of about 500 megawatt power. Except for Kaleshwaram lifts, all other consumers, including agriculture sector, is being given uninterrupted supply”, Mr. Prabhakar Rao said.
Authorities of TS-Genco stated that all thermal generation units at their disposal were pressed into service to meet the demand as much as possible. “Our engineers have risen to the occasion and managed generation and transmission by personally supervising the operations and manning State Load Dispatch Centre”, a Genco executive stated.
The fears of such efforts to scuttle uninterrupted power supply to all consumers in Telangana is not new since Minister for Energy G. Jagadish Reddy went on record just over a fortnight back that the Centre was conspiring to scuttle 24x7 supply by instigating some power producers to raise the issue of payments in NLDC. He also alleged on the floor of the Assembly, during the recent budget session, that the Centre was forcing the State to toe its line of reforms, including installation of energy meters to agricultural connections.
“As they say man proposes and god disposes, there has been some relief in demand for the last couple of days due to afternoon showers and hailstorm in different parts of the State,” another senior executive observed.
