PNS|Vijayawada
Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy has said that the State government is committed to implementing energy efficiency programmes with utmost dedication. This initiative is set to contribute to the achievement of the primary objective of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, which is to ensure continuous and reliable power supply, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, especially for industries and the residential sector. The AP power utilities have successfully met the energy demand of 263 million units in the State on June 17, marking the highest recorded demand so far.
Jawahar Reddy remarked that, in this context, the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy plays a significant role in meeting the power requirements of the people.
Numerous prominent industrialists worldwide are selecting Andhra Pradesh due to the transparent industrial policies of the state government, driven by the strong determination of the Chief Minister.
The government has prioritised infrastructure development and the promotion of industrialization, as well as offering support to MSMEs in order to generate more employment opportunities.
The Chief Secretary mentioned that, considering the hardships faced by MSMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AP Govt. has introduced the “ReSTART” policy boost, amounting to Rs 1110 crore. This initiative aims to provide substantial relief at a time when the economy came to a standstill, severely impacting the livelihoods of thousands dependent on the MSME sector during the COVID period.
In response to the comment made by the Chief Secretary of AP, the Chief Executive Officer of EESL, Vishal Kapoor, expressed the organisation’s unwavering readiness to support Andhra Pradesh, as well as other states, in any area or project related to energy efficiency. Such efforts contribute 50 percent towards addressing climate change and also aid in enhancing the economy. The remarkable success of the UJALA (Unnat Jyothi Affordable LEDs for All) scheme, which is one of the world’s largest LED programs launched by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, stands as a testament to EESL’s commitment. Over 36.86 Crore LED bulbs have been distributed nationwide, resulting in savings of approximately 47,880 million kWh per annum. This has also avoided a peak demand of 9,586 MW, along with a reduction of 3.87 crore tonnes in CO2 emissions.
The CEO of EESL expressed gratitude to the State government for the effective implementation of energy efficiency programs and the promotion of renewable energy generation in the State. He also commended the bold steps taken by the government in procuring 7000 MW of solar power from SECI and establishing around 33 GW of pumped hydro storage capacity, which contribute to providing quality and cost-effective power.
Additionally, he thanked AP Chief Secretary K S Jawahar Reddy, as well as the Special Chief Secretaries of the Finance, PR&RD, Energy, and Industries departments, namely SS Rawat, B Rajsekhar, K Vijayanand, and Commissioners of PR&RD, MA&UD, and Industries department, A Surya Kumari, Commissioner P Koteswara Rao, and Praveen Kumar, for their cooperation and support to EESL.
