16 June,2011 07:19 AM IST | | Parth Satam
As a result of surplus electricity in state, MSEDCL plans not to charge extra to supply uninterrupted power for household consumption
Consumers of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) in the city have reason to cheer. They will not have to pay more to get uninterrupted power supply as the power generation in the state has been sufficient this year, said MSEDCL officials. Previously, consumers in revenue headquarters like Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad had to pay a higher tariff for uninterrupted power supply according to the 'Zero Load Shedding' model.
No sweat: Water from the Koyna dam is now being used exclusively
for generation of electricity. file pic
MSEDCL officials said that several factors have contributed to the appreciation in power generation in the state. The Ratnagiri Gas and Power Plant Limited (RGPPL) has now 'stabilised' and is producing its full commissioned capacity of 1600 megawatts (MW).u00a0 Ashok Pendse, a power expert, said water from the Koyna dam was earlier used for agricultural purposes, but according to an order from the water tribunal, a few years ago, the water was to be used exclusively for electricity generation. Another factor was the additional power received from private power-generation companies such as Jindal and Adani. In 2007-08, about 15,500 to 16,000 MW was required but because of the conducive factors in the last three years, there was a surplus of 3,000 MW," "said Pendse.
The model
The Zero Load Shedding model for revenue headquarters basically means 'pay more to enjoy more'. This means that these cities had to pay an extra surcharge to get uninterrupted power supply. This power was sourced from external sources like private power-generating companies or power exchanges. A different tariff per unit was charged for each city. The city currently pays 21 paise per unit. Effectively, Puneites will save Rsu00a0 40 in every bill depending upon the number of units they consume. MSEDL Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Ram Dotonde from Mumbai said, "We have forwarded the report to the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) and the hearing is scheduled for this July."u00a0u00a0Shantanu Dixit, power expert, said that the MSECL should be transparent in the manner in which it supplies power to revenue headquarter and not divert power from the main state power grid that supplies electricity to the rest of the state.
