Tamil Nadu power crunch, CTR Nirmal Kumar confirms 2,000 MW
Tamil Nadu is in the middle of a serious power crunch, and people are making their frustration known, even interrupting a minister's press conference.
With electricity demand hitting record highs this July, the government is scrambling to keep up.
To help bridge the gap, Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar says they had already purchased 2,000 megawatts of power the previous week and planned to buy another 1,500 MW at about ₹20 per unit.
Approval delays stall 1,000 MW renewables
A big part of the problem: delays in getting approvals. Large consumers can't access energy through the Indian Energy Exchange, and about 1,000 megawatts worth of renewable projects are stuck waiting for grid connections.
TNPDCL is planning to launch a new portal next month to speed up renewable applications, plus there's a big battery storage project in the works to help keep things stable.