The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company ltd (CSPDCl) is going for separation of Agriculture and Non Agriculture Feeder in various districts of the State, officials informed.
Apart from conventional power distribution to farm sector, notably, the State government has also already commenced preparation for setting up 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps in a span of two-and-half-years in the State.
The government has set the target of setting up 11,000 solar pumps in the current financial year till March 2017 and the rest during the next two years.
Notably, Chhattisgarh government is planning to add 2640 MW of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed.
The State currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 MW which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind biomass and small hydro.
The State has also planned to install solar powered pump sets for agriculture consumers which will benefit 16,000 consumers.
It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in Chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply) mode.
The State will soon also launch a ‘Solar Community Irrigation Project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the State.
Chhattisgarh will procure additional power from renewable energy sources to the tune of approximately 700 MW by FY 2018, officials informed.
With this the average power purchase cost for Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company ltd (CSPDCl) based on the above power availability will increase from 2.58 Rs/kWh in FY 2015-16 to 3.12 Rs/kWh in FY 2018, they informed.
The rates have been derived based on cost of power at existing rates and considering no escalation in power purchase cost since it is passing through for the distribution company.
Notably, Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) has invested ` 400 crores during the last 11 years in developing infrastructure for solar power generation which had resulted in 40 MW of electricity being generated from non conventional energy sources.