Experts caution against draining hydel resources to make up for coal shortage
The Hindu
Good hydel storage is a must for peak load management during summer months
Good rain in the catchment areas has resulted in all the three major hydel reservoirs of the State having a good storage, similar to last year’s levels. But what has caused concern in the power sector is excessive usage of the hydel storage, apparently to make up for the coal shortage.
Experts feel that peak load management of power in summer months may be affected if the State continues to draw hydel power in excess for some more time.
Karnataka that has a mix of thermal, hydel, and renewable energy sources, as a thumb rule uses hydel storage as back-up power during the summer months to manage the peak load when the demand for power shoots up. This helps in proper management of power supply without load-shedding. During other seasons too, hydel storage is used for managing peak load. This would mean that only a small quantum of hydel storage would be used on a daily basis. However, the present situation of slightly excessive usage of hydel storage has caused concern.