THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Even though the immediate power crisis has eased, Goa's Electricity Department is drawing up contingency plans to meet a likely surge in demand during the upcoming tourism season, expected to peak in December-January.
Spot purchases of additional power beyond the State's allocated share from the national grid, is central to the strategy.
Senior officials said the department remains on alert despite a sharp improvement in supply conditions from a situation where forced load-shedding for industrial consumers was resorted to.
These emergency options were discussed over the past few weeks in meetings involving Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes, industry representatives and senior government officials.
Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Director General Sanjay Amonkar, meanwhile, said the situation has largely stabilised.
"The issues have been resolved and complaints of interruptions or load-shedding have reduced significantly," Amonkar said.
In September, the department flagged a peak-hour shortfall of around 80 MW following reduced power availability from the national grid.
Officials had linked the crunch to lower hydropower generation due to weak monsoon rainfall and constraints on thermal power production caused by coal supply issues.
To plug the shortfall, the department explored buying costly peak-hour power from the open market at Rs 20-22 per unit. Another option under consideration was round-the-clock power procurement at about Rs 10 per unit.
While the immediate threat has receded, officials now expect demand to rise again from December as tourist footfalls increase and business activity picks up across the hospitality sector.
Electricity consumption data, meanwhile, shows a clear seasonal trend. Goa had recorded an all-time peak demand of 891 MW in April this year, with monthly consumption touching nearly 510 GWh.
Demand remained high at 884 MW in May before easing during the monsoon months, when cooler weather reduced electricity usage.
The State also sees strong winter consumption, driven by tourism and hospitality activity. Projections based on past data by the department indicate peak demand is growing at around 5.4 per cent annually and is expected to cross 1,000 MW by 2029-30.
Officials said, the most critical demand window is between 5 pm and 2 am, when residential cooling needs overlap with peak activity in hotels, restaurants and tourism-linked businesses.
With solar generation unavailable during these hours, maintaining uninterrupted supply remains a challenge, making contingency procurement plans vital for the months ahead.
