Power situation very grim: expert

K Radhakrishnan

K. Radhakrishnan, former member (generation), Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), and chairman of the energy campaign committee of the KSEB Engineers Association, has said a serious lapse on the part of the power engineers in the past few decades in removing the hurdles for establishing major power projects in Kerala is one of the reasons for the current power crisis.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on “Energy crisis and it solutions,” organised by the Y’s Men’s Club of Kottarakara on Sunday, he said the energy crisis situation in the State had reached such a situation that any more passiveness cannot be afforded.

He said that it was in the backdrop of this lapse that the KSEB Engineers Association had decided to shoulder a leading role in promoting and coordinating efforts to make Kerala an energy rich State.

The power situation in the State was very grim both in the short-term and long-term perspective.

While the present power shortage could to an extent be attributed to the failure of the monsoon this year, the picture for the coming years were not so bright since all the major power project proposals had been stalled on account of various reasons, he said.

This called for a two-pronged approach comprising short-term and long-term action plans, to overcome the situation. The short-term measures involved economisation of energy use.

Domestic sector

Since domestic sector consumption was around half of the total power consumption in the State, efforts to reduce the power consumption of this sector would have more impact.

For this, the KSEB Engineers Association had taken a decision to have mass awareness campaigns for reducing domestic consumption of energy, especially during peak hours.

In this connection, the association would coordinate efforts from the governmental-level and non-governmental organisations, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

Long-term plans

The long-term plans would be aimed at removing the hurdles for enhancing the electricity generation capacity of the State.

Chances of proposals on projects other than hydro electric stations becoming a reality were bleak with uncertainties.

Therefore, the State would have to take a fresh look at all the hydro electric projects of the State, which remained stalled since the past 20 years or more.

New approach

Mr. Radhakrishnan said a new approach which acknowledged coexistence of development and the environment was the need of the hour.

The misconceptions about hydel projects had to be addressed and weeded out effectively.

The real facts about environmental impacts of such projects should be brought to light by consolidating scientific opinions from expert organisations.

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‘Future of power situation in State is not very bright’

‘All major power project proposals have been stalled’

Source:The Hindu

KSEB plea to reduce power consumption

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has appealed to power consumers to cooperate with it in reducing the use of electricity.

The KSEB, in a press release on Thursday, drew the attention of the consumers to an order of the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission on October 9 asking them to reduce energy consumption. As per the order, all high tension (HT) and extra high tension (EHT) power consumers in the State should restrict their consumption to 75 per cent of their usual consumption between 6.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. The KSEB said that from October 12 it had started monitoring whether the consumers were complying with the direction.

By November end, the KSEB would submit before the commission a list of HT and EHT consumers who disobeyed the direction. The list would be placed in the public domain.

The KSEB said the consumers should not use electricity from its grid for lighting up advertisement boards, illuminating the outer side of buildings, and for any extravagant purposes. Power supply to such consumers would be disconnected.

The commission had warned that the consumers would have to pay a fuel surcharge on the additional quantity of thermal electricity the KSEB would have to purchase to make good the shortage in the availability of hydroelectric power due to the poor performance of the southwest monsoon. The amount spent on the additional thermal power during the period from October 2012 to March 2013 would be recovered from the consumers from the month of June 2013.

The fuel surcharge would be on the actual quantity of electricity consumed by each consumer during this period. Therefore, each consumer should take care to reduce power consumption, the KSEB said.

Source Hindu