Set up prepaid smart meters in govt establishments on priority: Union minister Khattar

Mumbai, May 13 (PTI) Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said setting up of prepaid smart meters in all government establishments should be taken up on priority.

Addressing the Regional Power Ministers' Conference (Western region) here, he called for increasing the nuclear energy production to 100 GW by 2047.

Each state must create dedicated zones for green energy production to achieve net zero emissions, he said.

"Priority should be given to installation of prepaid smart meters in all government establishments. Creation of dedicated green energy zones is essential," Khattar said.

Funds are being made available to states for the smart meter project, he said.

A smart meter is a digital device that automatically records and transmits energy consumption data to utility providers.

Distribution companies should implement initiatives like infrastructure development and smart metering under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) scheme to enhance efficiency, he said.

The Regional Power Ministers' Conference for the western region was held at the Sahyadri Guest House in south Mumbai.

During the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik, Gujarat's Finance and Energy Minister Kanubhai Desai, Goa's Power Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, Madhya Pradesh's Power Minister Pradyumna Singh Tomar (via video conferencing), Maharashtra's Minister of State for Energy Meghana Deepak Sakore-Bordikar, among others, were present.

"A financially-strong and future-ready power sector is essential for the country's progress. The goal of 'Developed India 2047' can be achieved through coordination between the central and state governments. This regional conference aims to understand and resolve the challenges faced by states. There is a need to enhance energy storage capacity through pump storage and battery energy storage projects. The distribution sector is the most critical link in the power chain," he said.

Major challenges include irrational tariff structures, incomplete billing and collections, and dues from government departments. To reduce power losses and bridge the gap between power production costs and revenue, tariffs must be cost-reflective. Government dues must also be paid on time, the Union minister said.

CM Fadnavis said Maharashtra was the first state to prepare a Resource Adequacy Plan considering the projected electricity demand for the next 10 years.

"The state's Energy Transition Plan has also been finalised. A decentralised solar distribution project with a capacity of 16,000 MW is being implemented for agriculture. The central government's support is sought for storage of this 16,000 MW to ensure low-cost solar power and grid stability," he said.

The state as well as the central governments must support public distribution companies in ensuring power supply for agricultural and other sectors, he added.

Fadnavis emphasized that electricity is vital for economic development.

Maharashtra's current power demand is 30,659 MW, which is expected to rise to 45,000 MW by 2035. Several measures are being implemented to provide day-time power to farmers. Contracts have been signed for 2,683 MW from thermal power, 1,170 MW from hydro, and 35,170 MW from renewable sources, he said.

Additionally, 4,574 MW of storage capacity has been planned to meet non-solar hour demand. Under the Resource Adequacy Plan, the installed capacity will be increased to 80,231 MW by 2029-30 and to 86,070 MW by 2033-34.

A strong distribution network is necessary to meet the rising electricity demand. A Rs 65,000 crore scheme has been developed to strengthen the distribution system, along with a planned Rs 75,000 crore investment in the transmission sector, the CM said.

Union minister Naik said the central government's schemes are empowering the energy sector.

Considering the increasing summer power demand, concrete steps will be taken to boost storage capacity, he said. PTI MR NP

Source: PTI