12% peak power shortage in India

India faces over 12 per cent peak power shortage despite 7.3 per cent rise in generation, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

"In spite of growth in generation of the order of 7.3 per cent in April-November this year, there is an overall shortage of power in the country, primarily, due to increase in demand for power outstripping the availability of power," Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said.

"The average energy and peak shortage in the country during the current year was of the order of 8.3 per cent and 12.2 per cent respectively," he said. Maharashtra faced a 25.2 per cent deficit in November while Uttar Pradesh has 15.9 per cent shortfall.

Gujarat had 30.6 per cent shortfall and Bihar 24.9 per cent. Delhi had a peak demand deficit of 2.5 per cent. National Electricity Policy envisages elimination of power shortage by 2012 through addition of 100,000 MW during 10th and 11th Plan periods (2002-07 and 2007-12).

"Capacity addition of about 30,640 MW is being monitored for completion during 10th Plan," he said.  To another question, Shinde said after privatisation of power in Delhi, the technical and commercial losses have come down from 50 per cent in 2002 (when the distribution was privatised) to about 35 per cent in March 2006.

"Load shedding has reduced from 558 million units in 2001-02 to about 321 million units in 2005-06. Distribution transformer failure rate has reduced from 15 per cent in 2002 to less than 1.5 per cent by the end of 2005-06," he said.
He said Delhi has decided to set up three gas-based stations of 2150 MW capacity.