India can achieve 1.65 bn units of electricity by 2017

The Dollar Business Bureau

Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday, India can achieve up to 50% growth in electricity production to 1.65 trillion units by 2017.

"We need to double our power production. Given the infrastructure and generating capacity we have today. We have the ability to double our power production. If tomorrow we need to add 50% power to our system I am ready for that. We are making about 1.1 trillion units of electricity annually now ...We can go up to 1.65 next year," the minister said.

Goyal assured there are no shortages of power across the states, and most of the shortages ware "technical" emanating due to power mismanagement. 

"Very often states don't buy and show shortage...There is a mismatch between availability of power and capacity of states to purchase and distribute to last mile connectivity," he highlighted. 

The minister pointed out that there is now surplus production of coal unlike in the past when almost two-third of India's power plants was left with critical coal stocks. 

“We have brought in enough coal into the system. Today in the entire country not one power plant has critical coal stock against 2/3rd when I became the Minister.  As a nation for 55 days if not a single kilo of coal is produced you will have power," he said. 

He said the government would pump in Rs.1.11 lakh crore for technological upgradation of power infrastructure under various rural and urban India schemes. 

India has also shifted its focus on the expansion of renewable energy. The Power Ministry has set up a target to reach 40,000 MW by 2022, from a mere 200 MW fixed earlier when Goyal took charge for the Ministry. The government wants to expand the total capacity to 100,000 MW.