The highest ever addition in electricity generation capacity in the past one year has led to power deficit in the country dipping to an all time low of 3.6 per cent, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said today.

Highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi Government in power and coal sector, he told at a press conference that 22,566 mega-watt (MW) of generation capacity was added in the last one year.

Also, there has been the highest ever increase in transmission line capacity of 22,100 circuit km and highest ever increase in sub-station capacity of 66,554 MW, he said. “Power deficit at 3.6 per cent in India is the lowest in its history.”

Goyal said state-owned Coal India Ltd produced a record 32 million tonnes of dry fuel and is looking at producing 100 million tonnes by 2020.

The future plans of the Government include raising renewable energy capacity by more than five times to 175,000 MW by 2022, five ultra-mega power plants totalling 20,000 MW, reduction in peak load shortages through revival of stranded gas-based power plants, Rs 1.09 lakh crore investment in sub-transmission and distribution and Rs 1 lakh crore of new transmission projects to be bid out in the current year.

“Clean energy will be prioritised with 25 solar parks of about 100 MW each planned and a Rs 38,000 crore green energy corridor being set up to transmit renewable energy,” he added.

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