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Power Minister RK Singh Chairs Power Sector Meeting, Calls for Eradicating Loadshedding

Addressing the stakeholders in his opening speech, Minister R. K. Singh emphasized the need to eliminate loadshedding.

January 19, 2024. By Abha Rustagi

The Review, Planning, and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting of the Power Sector commenced in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh.

The two-day event brings together Power/Energy Secretaries, CMDs/MDs of all state discoms, the Union Power Secretary, the Union New & Renewable Energy Secretary, and officials from Central Public Sector Enterprises.

Addressing the stakeholders in his opening speech, Minister R. K. Singh emphasized the need to eliminate loadshedding, stating, "I do not accept a future where India continues to be a developing country. The difference between this future and that of a developed country is very simple: there is no loadshedding in a developed country." He urged discoms to add capacity, sign Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and ensure resource adequacy for efficient functioning.

While acknowledging improvements in billing efficiency, Minister Singh noted that collection efficiency remains at 92.7 percent. He highlighted the sector's progress, citing increased daily power availability in rural and urban areas, reduced energy shortage, and decreased Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses.

Despite the achievements, the Minister emphasized the importance of addressing challenges, including the ACS-ARR gap, which has increased from 15 paise to around 45 paise.

Singh stressed the need to transition rapidly to meet the growing energy demand and ensure that India's established capacity reaches 900 GW by 2030. "The world is evolving in ways which are challenging. After 2030, it will be difficult to install thermal capacity. So, we have to transition fast and also ensure that we will have enough electricity for our growth," said Minister Singh.

He reiterated the commitment to sector viability, stating, "If discoms are not viable, investments will not come, capacities will not be set up, we will not have energy for our growth, we will not be able to pay for electricity, and then, India will never become a developed country."

Union Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal emphasized the need for DISCOMs to make progress in loss reduction and smart metering works. He urged proactive communication about unutilized funds to reallocate them efficiently.

Union New & Renewable Energy Secretary, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, highlighted the government's ambitious goal of installing 500 GW non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030. He commended the progress made and encouraged states to support the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The two-day RPM meeting will cover various topics, including distribution, rooftop solar, green hydrogen, PM KUSUM, and the viability of DISCOMs, among others.

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