A host of reasons, including increased consumption and lack of enough power generation initiatives by the previous AIADMK government, was responsible the power crisis in the state, Law Minister Duraimurugan informed the state assembly today.
While the peak demand was 11,000 mw, the peak availability was just 8,000 mw, Mr. Duraimurugan said, replying to the demand on the grants for Electricity Department in place of Arcot N. Veeraswamy.
The government purchased 2,000 mw and had put in “restriction and control measures” (load shedding in areas other than Chennai and its suburbs) to manage the deficit of rest of the 1,000 mw, he said.
He said while the AIADMK government announced a few power generation projects, none of them were “actually implemented.” ‘We have been taking care on power-generation projects and some of the ongoing ones including those in Chennai and Mettur will be completed by next year,” he said adding the state could become power-surplus by 2012 or 2013.
He said the delay in production from Koodankulam nuclear power plant, a joint initiative with Russia and dip in production at Kalpakkam and Kaiga (Karnataka) power plants were adding to the state’s woes on power front. Besides, low water levels in dams had affected hydel power generation.
He said by the month-end, windmills were expected to increase power generation, which could ease the situation, following which load shedding could be relaxed.
Number of consumers had also increased from 1.78 crore in 2005-06 to 2.12 crore in 2009-10, he added.
