LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh minister of energy and urban development AK Sharma on Sunday said the government focus was on ensuring a 24x7 power supply during the summer, alongside promoting solar rooftop pwer production, which had reached 350 MW in the state. In Bundelkhand, approximately 10,000 MW solar plants had been installed.
Sharma highlighted that the sweltering heat and increased domestic electricity usage had led to an unprecedented surge in power demand in Uttar Pradesh. Despite these challenges, the power supply across the state had remained uninterrupted.
The state was providing 24-hour power supply without discrimination, except for disruptions caused by local faults, storms, or other unavoidable circumstances. However, some individuals were spreading false claims about power outage, which was highly condemnable and malicious.
Sharma emphasized that the state successfully met a peak demand of 30,618 MW power, supplying a record 655.66 million units in a single day, surpassing all other states, including Maharashtra, by 4,000 to 5,000 MW.
Preparations were made in advance to meet this demand by contracting both thermal and hydroelectric power from surplus states, along with purchases from private agencies and exchanges.
Over the past two years, efforts had been made to strengthen the state’s power infrastructure, including a ₹17,000 crore investment under the RDSS scheme, ₹5,000 crore under the business plan and ₹1,000 crore for urban electricity infrastructure. This involved replacing outdated and sagging wires with 100,000 km of AB cables, installing 1.9 million new poles and enhancing 600,000 transformers with new installations, capacity upgrades and repairs. For the first time, cooling systems were introduced to maintain normal transformer temperatures, ensuring a steady supply of electricity despite unprecedented demand.
{{/usCountry}}Over the past two years, efforts had been made to strengthen the state’s power infrastructure, including a ₹17,000 crore investment under the RDSS scheme, ₹5,000 crore under the business plan and ₹1,000 crore for urban electricity infrastructure. This involved replacing outdated and sagging wires with 100,000 km of AB cables, installing 1.9 million new poles and enhancing 600,000 transformers with new installations, capacity upgrades and repairs. For the first time, cooling systems were introduced to maintain normal transformer temperatures, ensuring a steady supply of electricity despite unprecedented demand.
{{/usCountry}}Efforts were going on to provide 24-hour electricity and increase the state’s power production capacity by 6-10%. The present government had provided connections to over 1.5 crore consumers and electrified more than 125,000 hamlets, he said.
Strict measures against electricity theft were in place, with severe penalties for those involved. The government had waived electricity bills for farmers’ private tubewells since April 1, 2023 and had not increased electricity rates in the past four years, aiming to keep rates stable or reduced.
Finally, Sharma urged consumers to use electricity judiciously to help maintain continuous supply and address any disruptions promptly.