Uninterrupted, cheap power still a challenge in Karnataka, despite surplus
The Hindu
Karnataka has been claiming to be a power surplus State, also emerging as the top ranker in renewable energy
There was a time when citizens and power utilities alike dreaded the summer, which had become synonymous with power cuts. Photos of students preparing for exams under candlelight were regulars in newspapers. Power utilities such as the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) would prepare contingency plans to ensure maximum supply.
But since the last few years, Karnataka has been claiming to be a power surplus State, also emerging as the top ranker in renewable energy (RE).
But this has neither ensured power cut-free days in either the capital or the rest of the State nor has it helped in bringing down tariffs, which have only seen a steady increase in the recent past.
Senior Energy Department officials said Karnataka’s journey from a power deficit to surplus State has been a result of, among other things, emphasis on RE which contributed to capacity addition, especially through solar.
Responding to questions of why the State was still purchasing power from private players, an official said: “These are all PPAs (power purchase agreements) signed for 25 years. They are called in when necessary as RE is not sustained power and is unreliable. For instance, solar is only available during the day, and wind output also has no guarantee. So this power is kept as reserve and called upon when needed.” Coal shortage is a day-to-day to affair, he added, when asked about thermal plants.
According to Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL), the installed generation capacity in the State is 30,523 MW. The peak demand shoots up significantly during summer.
M.G. Prabhakar, former member of the advisory committee, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, said the State’s power scenario was an example of “water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.”
ACS Ignite, a start-up event aimed at empowering deep science start-ups to raise funding and mentorship was organised by the Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in collaboration with ACS and Fortytwo at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) on Thursday. Over twenty start-ups got a platform to pitch their ideas to Venture Capitalists, who would go on to provide access to networks and funds.
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has been chosen, along with IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IISc. Bengaluru, to establish centres of excellence (CoE) by the Wadhwani Foundation in Bioengineering and Biotechnology with a funding support of $1 million annually.