AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) Chairman Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy has said that the State government has cleared a greater part of the arrears, payable to the discoms between 2014 and 19. The arrears were ₹32,940 crore till August 2022 and the government has released ₹24,080.49 crore.
Justice Nagarjuna Reddy was in the city along with APERC members to review the functioning of AP Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) and to suggest measures to ensure greater coordination between the discoms and AP Transmission Corporation (AP TRANSCO).
The performance of Sub-Stations of AP TRANSCO including defects in the feeders and overload issues was already discussed. The main objective was to strengthen the discoms, both financially and infrastructurally, to provide best services to consumers. The implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) was reviewed, Justice Nagarjuna Reddy told a media conference here on Monday.
Responding to a query on the proposal to hand over distribution to private companies, he said it was not in the purview of the commission and it was for the Centre to take a call on it. On the growing demand for power and the plan to cater to it, he said that pumped storage projects were coming up as an alternative to battery storage, which was a costly proposition. During ‘off peak’ hours, the power generated would be stored and supplied during ‘peak’ hours as required.
A total of seven new pumped storage projects were on the anvil in Andhra Pradesh.
Subsidies were being extended to farmers and the government was prepared to clear the pending arrears, which were not more than 15%. Justice Nagarjuna Reddy appreciated the performance of EPDCL.
Two new thermal power plants
Replying to queries, he said that two new thermal power plants were coming up near Krishnapatnam and Vijayawada. They were estimated to start production soon.
He said that RECS at Anakapalli has been totally brought under the purview of AP EPDCL and ruled out the possibility of misuse of funds.
APERC Members Thakur Ramsingh and P. Rajgopal Reddy, AP TRANSCO Director A.K.V. Bhaskar and AP EPDCL CMD K. Santosha Rao and EPDCL Directors D. Chandram and P. Ramesh Prasad were present.
