For a while now, rumours have gone around Visakhapatnam, claiming that the city is facing a major power crisis and could be in for some regular power cuts. According to these rumours, the power distribution company in Vizag is gearing up for severe load-relief efforts. These rumours have arisen as the coal deposits have gone low and the thermal power plants nearby, like NTPC-Simhadri are operating at low capacity or have entirely stopped. But in reality, there isn’t any need for long power cuts in the city as yet.
Talking about the power consumption in the city, Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited’s (APEPDCL) Visakhapatnam Circle Office has stated that there is no power crisis in the city as of now. According to them, the power supply at their disposal is enough to meet the demand in the city. Only on days when it’s extremely hot, the city’s power consumption goes high and APEPDCL has to take mitigating measures.
Currently, the power load on Vizag’s electricity grid is 1,100 MW. Out of this, 400 MW is in the areas administered by GVMC while another 400 MW is used by the industrial areas of the city. The remaining 300 MW of the power load comes from miscellaneous sources.
In order to conserve electricity and avert a power crisis, APEPDCL has requested all the citizens of Vizag to not use their air conditioners (ACs) from 6 PM to 11 PM everyday. Even if they do use their ACs, they are recommended to maintain the AC’s temperature at 25 degrees Celsius.
APEPDCL is responsible for handling the power needs of Visakhapatnam and neighbouring districts like East Godavari. This is particularly significant since Visakhapatnam contributes about 15 percent of the total power consumption in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Recently, APEPDCL had rapidly repaired the extensive damages caused to the power grid of Visakhapatnam by Cyclone Gulab.
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