Telangana’s proposed 7,800 MW renewable power procurement plan came under sharp political attack at a public hearing of the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC), with the Congress backing the proposal to meet rising demand and the BRS warning that it could increase tariffs and burden consumers.
Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy defended the plan, saying Telangana’s peak power demand had crossed 20,000 MW on October 16. He argued that the state’s expanding economy required reliable electricity and water supplies to attract investment, and said the Congress government was committed to promoting green energy and providing quality power to consumers.
The proposal involves procuring renewable electricity from private companies. The hearing placed the question of future supply capacity alongside concerns over how new purchases would affect the state’s power bills and the financial position of its electricity distribution system.
Kiran Kumar Reddy also criticised the Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power plants, saying they had become financially burdensome because they used subcritical technology. He said both plants were built during the previous BRS government and alleged that Yadadri had been located away from coal and water sources.
According to the Congress MP, Yadadri was designed to use G9-grade coal, which had to be imported from overseas. He alleged that the plant could result in an additional expenditure of nearly Rs 1 lakh crore over its 40-year operational life. He also said the Congress government was importing coal from overseas and Coal India to operate the two plants.
BRS MLA G. Jagadish Reddy, who served as power minister, opposed the proposed renewable procurement and questioned the need for additional electricity. He said the state already had an installed capacity of around 27,000 MW created during the BRS regime.
Jagadish Reddy alleged that the Congress government was not using available power efficiently. He claimed that farmers were facing interruptions in electricity supply at night and that industries were being informally asked to suspend operations between 6 pm and 10 pm.
The BRS MLA also warned that purchasing electricity from sources outside the Telangana Generation Corporation system could increase tariffs and lead to higher true-up charges. He argued that consumers could ultimately be made to pay for power that had been purchased but not supplied.
The competing arguments at the TGERC hearing reflect two immediate questions for Telangana’s electricity sector: whether the state needs additional contracted capacity as peak demand rises, and how the cost of that procurement will be allocated between utilities and consumers. The commission’s consideration of the proposal will determine the next stage of the procurement process.
