Andhra Pradesh is taking up power transmission works worth around ₹6,000 crore, including new 132/220/400-kV substations, as the state government seeks to improve electricity reliability and meet rising demand, Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar said on Saturday.
The minister made the announcement in Ongole while inaugurating the new Superintending Engineer’s office of the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (APTRANSCO). The office was constructed at a cost of ₹3.40 crore. Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, MLA Damacharla Janardhan and Santhanuthalapadu MLA B.N. Vijay Kumar attended the event.
Five substations are under construction in the erstwhile Prakasam district and are expected to be commissioned within four to five months, Ravi Kumar said. The substations form part of the wider effort to strengthen the state’s transmission network and support what the minister described as the need for uninterrupted and quality electricity supply.
The announcement links the transmission expansion to a broader increase in consumption. The minister attributed a surge in power demand partly to the El Nino effect and said he had directed the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited, or GENCO, to strengthen generation capacity. The state will also procure electricity from the open market at competitive rates whenever necessary, according to the statement.
Renewable energy and battery storage systems are also expected to be used to meet demand during peak hours. The announcement did not specify the technology mix, locations or individual costs for the proposed storage systems, but placed them alongside generation expansion and market purchases as part of the state’s response to higher consumption.
The transmission programme also has a direct connection with ongoing urban works in Ongole. Ravi Kumar directed officials to take steps to shift high-tension power lines that are obstructing proposed Smart City projects. Janardhan said proposals had already been submitted for shifting the lines. He also said that one substation had been commissioned in Ongole and that the Kothapatnam substation would be inaugurated soon.
The state’s plans extend beyond conventional grid infrastructure. Ravi Kumar said Andhra Pradesh was targeting 20 lakh connections under the PM Surya Ghar programme, of which around five lakh had already been provided. The expansion of rooftop solar connections will add distributed generation to the electricity system, while the proposed use of battery storage is intended to support peak-hour requirements.
The minister’s remarks indicate that the immediate implementation milestones are the commissioning of the five substations within four to five months, the inauguration of the Kothapatnam facility and action on shifting high-tension lines affecting Ongole’s Smart City works. MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy separately urged consumers to use electricity judiciously.
