The Congress and the BRS clashed over the government’s proposal to procure 7,800 MW of renewable energy from private companies during a public hearing conducted by the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC). The Congress urged the commission to approve the proposal to meet the rising power demand and the BRS demanded its rejection, warning that it would impose an additional financial burden on consumers.
Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy defended the government’s proposal, arguing that the state’s peak power demand had crossed 20,000 MW on October 16, reflecting the growing electricity requirements of an expanding economy. Reliable power and water supplies were essential to attract investments, and the Congress government was committed to promoting green energy and providing quality electricity to consumers, he said.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power plants had become financially burdensome because of the use of subcritical technology. The two power stations were built during the BRS government teure He said that Yadadri was built in an unsuitable location, away from coal and water sources, and designed to use G9-grade coal, which had to be imported from abroad. The plant could result in an additional expenditure of nearly `1 lakh crore over its 40-year operational life, he alleged. The Congress government was importing coal from overseas and Coal India to operate the plants, he said.
BRS MLA G. Jagadish Reddy, former power minister, opposed the proposed procurement, questioning the need for additional power when the state had an installed capacity of around 27,000 MW created during the BRS regime. He accused the Congress government of failing to utilise available power efficiently, alleging that farmers were facing interruptions in supply at night and industries were being informally asked to suspend operations between 6 pm and 10 pm.
Jagadish Reddy said that procuring additional electricity from sources outside the Telangana Generation Corporation (Genco) system would lead to increased tariffs and lead to higher true-up charges. Consumers could ultimately be forced to pay even for power purchased but not supplied, he argued.
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