Stating that rapid economic growth and industrialisation were the major challenges that need to be met head on, Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said power generation capacity addition during the XI Plan would be about 74,000 MW, almost close to the original target of 78,577 MW.
“With best efforts, we would add about 12,000-13,000 MW power generation capacity over the likely addition of 62,000 MW in the current Five-Year Plan. This would be at 74,000 MW near to the original target of electricity generation capacity of 78,577 MW,” Mr. Shinde said at the ‘National campaign for energy efficiency and conservation' organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here on Wednesday.
In its mid-term review, the Planning Commission had reduced power generation capacity addition target by over 20 per cent to 62,374 MW for the current Plan period from the original 78,577 MW. The Plan panel had stated that “It is anticipated that additional power generation capacity of 45,234 MW can be commissioned during the remaining period of the XI Plan, noting that 19,207 MW of capacity was added till December 31, 2009,” he added.
During the X Plan, 21,080 MW was added against the target of 41,000 MW.
The Minister said “the CDM (clean development mechanism) executive board has approved our ‘Bachat Lamp Yojana' under which incandescent bulbs are replaced by energy-efficient CFLs at a cost of Rs. 15 only.” The CDM is an international organisation for approval of carbon credit projects under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The replacement of all incandescent bulbs in the country is expected to result in a saving of 6,000 MW of power.
The Power Minister said the Government had put in place an overarching legal, regulatory and policy framework to promote market-based energy efficiency.
