4 plants in State provide around 20 MW of electricity
PANAJI
The State of Goa requires 580-700 MW electricity per day for commercial and domestic purposes, however currently, the State receives around 324 MW power through various sources, stated Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar in a written reply in the recently concluded State Assembly.
The Power Minister while replying to a question from Poriem MLA Dr Deviya Rane, informed the House that the four plants in the State provide around 20 MW electricity. Apart from this the solar and non-solar sectors from other states offer 302 MW power supply to Goa.
Amid a growing power usage, the State government is trying to meet the growing demand through various ways, including buying power from IDG as well as Solar Energy Corporation of India which collect and store energy from various sources and then provide it to those in need.
The government has also sought 50 MW electricity supply under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme. All this will increase the amount of power supply that Goa has been receiving from other States, stressed the Power Minister in his reply.
The tourist season always puts the State into serious power shortage. As the demand for electricity increases considerably during this peak season, the cities consume more electricity and the rural areas in most talukas suffer from power outages, according to an officer from the Electricity Department.
“The department is trying to solve this issue an agreement has been signed to receive extra power from the PM KUSUM scheme,” the official said.
The government also has planned to take electricity from the TAMNAR project on a reduced rate. If that materialises, the State would benefit in a big way. The electricity received from TAMNAR will benefit the industrial estates in Goa and eventually, this will lead to economic growth of the State, the official added.
PANAJI: Looking at the growing demand of power supply from domestic as well as commercial sector in the coming years, the State has to prepare itself to mitigate this requirement by creating more reliable energy sources, said Damodar Kochkar, the Goa President of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Pointing out that the peak tourism season always faces a serious shortage of electricity and this is a regular scenario experienced unfailingly every year, Kochkar stated that a similar situation was experienced during the last season, wherein the industrial sector had to bear the brunt in the form of huge losses.
“That was the reason why entrepreneurs in Goa had to put up a proposal to the government to buy electricity at a higher rate from outside sources, and supply it to them. Acting upon this request, the Electricity Department initiated this move and is now already buying electricity from outside sources to supply the local industries,” pointed out Kochkar.
