GUWAHATI, Sept 15 - The Central Electricity Authority has projected that the State�s power demand would go up to 5,248 MW during the peak hours every day by 2029-�30.
The projection has been made in line with the 19th Electricity Power Survey (EPS), said sources in the State-run Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL). At present, the daily power demand of the State is 2,297 MW. In 2018-�19, it was 1,810 MW, and in 2017-�18, it was 1,763 MW.
The projection of the above power demand has been made in keeping with the objective of power for all (PFA) programme that aims at providing round the clock power to all households, treating the electrified and non-electrified rural as well as urban households.
Sources said it is expected that the daily household power consumption in urban areas will increase from 3.36 kWh of financial year 2014 to 4.77 kWh in financial year 2019 and to 6kWh in financial year 2022.
Similarly, the daily rural household power consumption in the rural areas will increase from 1.71 kWh in financial year 2014 to 2.43 kWh in financial year 2019 and to 3 kWh in financial year 2022.
The increase in new rural and urban households has been estimated based on the past CAGR of 2.45 per cent and 3.33 per cent for urban and rural areas respectively, based on the estimated per household per day consumption.
The energy requirement projection from other consumer categories have been done factoring the expected natural growth as well as the additional growth arising out of increased availability of electricity in accordance with the power for all roadmap.
It is worth mentioning here that the industrial and tea estate categories were faced with 30 per cent to 40 per cent load restrictions and various constraints in these categories were phased out gradually during the 2019 financial year.
Additionally, sources said there would be a nominal growth in the power demand to the extent of five per cent per annum from these consumer categories.
For the remaining categories, such as commercial, public lighting, agriculture, public water works etc, the maximum of last five years CAGR has been considered to arrive at the projected demand.
The peak demand for power has been derived using the load factor projected in the 18th EPS. The peak demand for the State is expected to increase from 1,450 MW in financial year 2015 to 2,297 MW in financial year 2019-�20.
The consideration of rapid increase in electrification levels and the improved power availability position in the State has enhanced the projected energy requirement and the peak demand projections, sources said.
Sources further said that after implementation of the Union Government�s flagship programme Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), around 16 lakh households, that is 99 per cent of the rural households, were electrified within January 25, 2019.
