The Hindu Business Line : TN issues new power supply regulations

Demand compression
Households consuming more than 600 units in a 2-month billing cycle will have to cut consumption by 20% or have to pay 50% more for the additional power consumed
Industry not to draw power from grid during peak hours
Industry faces 20-40% power cut

Our Bureau

Chennai, Oct. 20 The Tamil Nadu Government has come out with regulations for an equitable distribution of power between domestic, agricultural and industrial consumers.

The basic thrust of the regulations is demand compression using the principle, ‘if you consume more, you will have to pay more’.

For instance, households consuming more than 600 units in a two-month billing cycle will have to reduce consumption by 20 per cent. If their consumption exceeds this limit, they will have to pay 50 per cent more for the additional power they use.

Rural areas are to get three-phase power for 14 hours a day and single phase for 10 hours enabling farmers to use their irrigation pump sets for six hours during the day time and four hours in the night. They cannot use the irrigation pump sets during single-phase supply.

Industrial & commercial

Industrial and commercial consumers with high tension supply face a 40 per cent power cut with a corresponding reduction in demand charge; those with LT-CT (Low Tension – Current Transformer) connection face a 20 per cent power cut; and these consumers cannot draw power from the grid during the peak demand period between 6.00 pm and 10.00 pm when supply to the domestic segment has to be maintained.

Industrial and commercial units with low tension supply consuming more than 2,000 units in a two-month billing cycle will have to bring down their power consumption by 20 per cent or face a 50 per cent additional cost a unit on the excess power consumed.

Exemptions

Hospitals, State and Central Government offices, consulates, railways, newspaper and television offices, telecom facilities, educational institutions, fertiliser units and dairy plants are exempt from these regulations that take effect from November 1.

30% shortfall

Tamil Nadu is facing a nearly 30 per cent shortage of power availability due to a shortfall in power generation in hydro and thermal power plants.

Of the 10,122 MW of installed power capacity, about 7,000 MW of power generation is available. Also, out of the 3,900 MW of wind power generation capacity, the generation is down to about 16 MW.

To maintain supply to the domestic segment the State Government has had to cut power supply to industry, which has hit industrial production.

Industry has been demanding that the power cut should be shared equally among the various segments of consumers.

According to statistics available on the TNEB Web site, the load shedding to the industrial segment provides a relief of over 1,456 MW.

More Stories on : Power | Tamil Nadu

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