In an attempt to achieve energy security and climate change goals, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has asked the energy wing to coordinate with all other government departments to achieve sector-wise energy efficient goals and make the State the best in the country.
In a teleconference, APERC Chairman C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy said the country had set a target of net zero emissions by 2070 and a reduction of 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030. “In Andhra Pradesh, the energy demand has been on the rise and it is expected to reach 250 MUs per day by March 2023. The energy consumption in domestic sector is also increasing by the day,” he said.
Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand said that departments such as housing, industries, Panchayat Raj, water resources, municipal administration and rural development and education and a few corporations had constituted energy conservation cells, which were being coordinated by the A.P. State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM).
He said the State had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the recently held World Economic Forum meeting on setting up two mega green energy projects at an estimated cost of ₹60,000 crore to establish a 10,000 MW solar power project and a 3,700 MW hydro storage project. This was in addition to the world’s largest integrated renewable energy storage power project in Kurnool district designed to generate 5230 MW of electricity, he pointed out.
Chairman and Managing Director of APTransco B. Sreedhar, Joint Managing Director (HRD), APTransco I. Prudhvi Tej, CMDs of DISCOMs J. Padma Janardhana Reddy and K. Santosh Rao, Vice-Chairman of New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) S. Ramana Reddy and APERC’s Engineering head K. Rajabapaiah participated in the meeting.