Power needs a positive charge

Maharashtra wants to be free of power cuts by 2012, but was able to raise electricity generation by a mere 1.6 per cent in the current fiscal till last December.

Maharashtra wants to be free of power cuts by 2012, but was able to raise electricity generation by a mere 1.6 per cent in the current fiscal till last December. It was able to increase generation capacity by 3.6 per cent. The state’s Economic Survey said the daily power deficit state continues to be 4,000-5,000 megawatts.

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In 2008-09, generation firms, especially state-owned Mahagenco, registered a dip of 4.3 per cent in generation in thermal units and 15 per cent in hydro units. A year earlier, the situation was better because there were no major breakdowns, coal supply was good and there was enough water available.

Still, Mahagenco accounted for 61 per cent of the state’s total power generation, followed by Tata Power (13.4 per cent) and Reliance (5.3 per cent).

Tata fared better than Mahagenco as it was able to raise thermal power production by 2 per cent but it lost 22 per cent in the hydro sector over the past year. Both companies lost out on gas-based generation because of inadequate fuel supply.

On the power consumption side, industry (39.5 per cent, 5 per cent less than the previous year), domestic (23.1 per cent) and agriculture (17.4 per cent) were the largest consumers. Commercial segment logged a 36.6 per cent growth in demand.

Meanwhile, on the industrial investment front, 15,408 projects — with an investment of Rs 5,58,336 crore and employment potential of 28.17 lakh — were registered till the end of last August.