Energy Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy on Sunday directed the power utilities in the State to formulate a concrete plan to address the possible challenge of another spell of power shortage in July-August 2022.
Addressing the officials in a teleconference on the World Environment Day, the Minister said there was uncertainty over improvement of coal stocks at the thermal stations, as the onset of the south-west monsoon was likely to hamper mining and transportation of coal.
At a time when thermal power plants were unable to address a spike in demand for power due to coal shortage, the country was expected to see a peak demand of 214 GW in August, as per a report of the Central Electricity Authority of India (CEAI).
Appreciating the early steps taken by the AP-GENCO for obtaining imported coal to improve thermal generation, the Minister said the government would bear the entire expenditure and ensure minimum inconvenience to the people.
He said a proposal to supply coal to the State by Coal India Limited was under consideration by the government.
Secretary, Department of Energy, B. Sreedhar, and other top officials of the DISCOMS, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP), S. Ramana Reddy, and others were present.
