The State will not go in for load-shedding or power cut though the hydel reservoirs have only water sufficient to generate 1,646 MW of electricity, Power Minister M.M. Mani said on Tuesday.
A 45% reduction in electricity generation has occurred in the State owing to deficit in rainfall, the Minister said in reply to questions in the Assembly by Manjalamkuzhi Ali and others.
The hydel reservoirs have received only 55 per cent of inflow of water owing to the deficit in rainfall.
To tide over the power crisis and the likely increase in consumption during the summer months of March, April and May, Mr. Mani said the Kerala State Electricity Board had taken several steps, including power exchange and purchase of power from other States.
The Minister said the hike in electricity charges was under the consideration of the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission and communication in this regard is yet to reach from the commission to the KSEB and the government.
The previous UDF regime had hiked the electricity charges in the State thrice -- 24% in 2012-13, 9.1% in 2013-14 and 6.7% in 2014-15, he pointed out.
The State will achieve total electrification by March 31 by making available power to the remaining houses at a cost of ₹174 crore and using the MP, MLA funds and local bodies support.
Of the 1, 27,000 applications received by the KSEB, electricity connection has been given to 72,000.
The Minister announced that the KSEB will go for new projects -- thermal, solar, wind and and hydel - to meet the increasing the demands of electricity. In the case of Athirappilly hyrdroelectric project, Mr. Mani said government will try to achieve a consensus with all concerned.
In reply to a question by K. Suresh Kurup of the CPI(M) and others, the Minister said the KSEB will tender nine hydroelectric projects next year with an installed capacity of 87.5 MW.
In the case of tapping solar energy, the KSEB will take steps to commence five projects that will have an installed capacity of 245.22 MW. Three wind farms will be have an installed capacity of 6.12 MW.
Mr. Mani said 33 substations will be completed across the State during the financial year 2017-18.
In addition, three lakh new connections will be provided, new 2,725-km high tension line, 2,594-km low tension line laid, 1,754- km single phase line will be converted to double phase and 2,508 new transformers will be installed at a cost of ₹724.4 crore.
The KSEB will also launch a massive awareness programme to bring down electricity consumption across the State.
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