Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to turn off lights for nine minutes at 9pm on Sunday, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has put its Koyna hydro-electric power station on alert to ensure electricity supply in the state is not affected.
In a statement issued on Saturday night, the state discom said, “The electricity grid is robust and stable to handle the variation in demand. All electrical appliances can remain on during this period. Citizens must not switch off the main switch.” It further said that street lights and lights for all essential services will remain on during this period. Earlier in the day, state energy minister Nitin Raut in a letter to the principal secretary, asked to co-ordinate with power companies to submit a plan immediately.
The sudden drop in demand for nine minutes followed by the spike when everyone switches on lights could lead to a high voltage surge, which electric grids may struggle to handle. Officials said hydro-power is an important element in the grid management plan for Sunday night. Koyna Hydro and Tata Power Hydro will be fully available, with experienced operators in their control rooms, for system operation.
On Saturday, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL), or Mahatransco, said it estimates the state’s electricity demand would see a drop in the range of 1700-1750 megawatts (MW) on Sunday night. MSETCL has prepared a 20-point action plan to mitigate any fluctuations. People are also advised to switch off only lights and leave on domestic appliances like fans and air conditioners.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL), or Mahatransco, said it estimates the state’s electricity demand would see a drop in the range of 1700-1750 megawatts (MW) on Sunday night. MSETCL has prepared a 20-point action plan to mitigate any fluctuations. People are also advised to switch off only lights and leave on domestic appliances like fans and air conditioners.
{{/usCountry}}Officials from the state discom said it is easier to ramp up hydro-electricity compared to thermal power and Koyna has a capacity of close to 2,190 MW. “The hydro power plant is on alert to ramp back the load on the grid. So once the nine minutes are over, restart is quick,” said an MSEDCL official.
State energy minister, Nitin Raut, on Friday urged citizens to only light candles and diya, without switching off lights as this could cause multi-grid failure. “It takes 12-16 hours to service one power station. If a grid collapses, it will take a week to restore things to normalcy. This will affect essential services,” said Raut.
Vishwas Pathak, BJP spokesperson and a member of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, said “unnecessary doubts” are being raised.
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