JOIN US Power situation in Punjab is again expected to be grim in the coming summer with the state power utility projecting up to 31 per cent gap between demand and supply from April to September. This, despite arranging energy from all sources.
In a petition filed with Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) has sought permission from the power regulator to impose regulatory measures on all categories of consumers to bridge the demand and supply gap.
PSPCL has projected that the shortfall between demand and supply will vary between 4 per cent and 31 per cent from April till September.
“On an average, the unrestricted demand of power varies between 1,039 to 2,072 lakh units (LUs), and the average availability of power varies between 873 and 1584 LUs in this year’s projection,” said the petition.
“It will leave a demand and supply gap of minus 488 LUs to plus 45 LUs per day.”
After getting power from all sources in 2013-14, the power utility has anticipated a gap between demand and supply at 4 per cent (April), 22 per cent (May), 11 per cent (June), 31 per cent (July), 26 per cent (August), 12 per cent (September) and 23 per cent (October),The power starved utility will spend over Rs 1,000 crore for buying 3,150 million units of short-term power from suppliers ensure uninterrupted connection in summer.
In summer 2012, consumers had a harrowing time when heavy load shedding was imposed across the state in view of unprecedented increase in demand for energy.
Pointing out that an unprecedented rise in demand was seen in 2012-13, PSPCL said the maximum unrestricted demand was recorded at 11,520 MW in July 2012.
The utility said the northern grid collapsed last year because of overdrawing power by some states.