Union minister for power and new & renewable energy RK Singh has urged states to prioritize renewable energy for agricultural use to conserve coal-based capacity for non-solar hours.
At the National Conference of Power and New & Renewable Energy Ministers of States & UTs, Singh detailed the government’s approach to meeting the country’s escalating power demand, indicative of its rapid economic growth.
“Use renewables to power agriculture, save coal-based capacity for non-solar hours,” Singh advised, asserting the importance of power availability for India’s growth trajectory, which he would not compromise on, even if it necessitates the expansion of coal-based capacity.
With the upcoming COP-28 meeting expected to pressure nations to reduce coal usage, Singh made it clear that India will not forsake its power needs for growth. “We are not going to compromise on availability of power for our growth,” he stated, reaffirming India’s commitment to achieving its targets set at previous COP meetings.
Singh pointed out the phenomenal increase in power demand, with recent months showing a 20% surge over the previous year. Addressing this challenge, he underscored the need for all states to operate power plants at full capacity and the necessity of constructing approximately 80,000 MW of thermal capacity to meet future demands.
Singh also addressed the coal supply-demand gap, advocating for coal blending to mitigate shortages and emphasizing the equitable distribution of coal across states. He highlighted the absence of favoritism in electricity distribution, with the integrated system requiring cooperation among states.
Furthermore, Singh called for the acceleration of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) implementation to strengthen the power distribution sector.
