Electricity-starved Karnataka will buy more than 2,000 MW from other States and private producers to tide over the impending power crisis.
The State has been facing a shortage of 1,800 MW a day. Electricity supply companies have been cutting power for several hours at different times during the day in urban and rural areas. The government has earmarked Rs. 3,078 crore for purchase of power from independent power producers till May 2016.
Minister for Energy D.K. Shivakumar told presspersons on Thursday that a decision had been taken to purchase 2,000 MW on long-term and 1,000 MW on medium-term basis. The State has already purchased 1,113 MW.
The department would go for bidding to buy electricity. Only after entering into a power purchase agreement (PPA) will the Power Grid Corporation of India ensure a corridor to supply power to the State, he said.
A 10-year vision plan would be unveiled shortly and it would draw a road map for power generation in the State. By March 2016, the State would be in a position to generate another 1,150 MW of power — 485 MW of wind, 487 MW of solar, 20 MW of biomass, 114 MW of cogeneration and 44 MW of hydel.
The Centre has been urged to supply the State’s quota of power from the Central grid. So far, the State has been receiving 200 MW a day from the Central grid.
Owing to depletion of water storage in reservoirs, hydel power generation had declined from 8,435 million units a day in 2013 to 4,314 million units in 2015, he said.
