Orissa drawing up plan to battle power shortage

October 14th, 2009 HYDERABAD - The Andhra Pradesh government has permitted four private power producers to sell electricity in the open market, triggering fears that the energy shortage in the state would deepen. The state government late Tuesday issued an order allowing four companies -- GVK Industries, Konaseema, Gautami Power and Vemagiri Power -- to sell 20 MW for every 100 MW produced to third parties when gas supply is normal.

September 4th, 2009 MUMBAI - State-run power utility NTPC Friday said it was "committed to drawing the allocated gas" from the Krishna-Godavari hydrocarbon basin for projects in the national capital region that includes Delhi, even though it was fighting a legal battle with the contractor, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). "NTPC is committed to drawing the allocated gas for its national capital region gas-based power stations at Anta, Dadri and Faridabad, without prejudice to its rights and contentions in the ongoing suit between NTPC and RIL," said the company in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

July 23rd, 2009 DHAKA - Advancing the time by an hour has helped Bangladesh reduce power demand by 150 to 200 megawatt (MW) in the evenings, marginally easing the persistent electricity shortage. Factories have also begun to run past midnight to avoid power cuts.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Coal shortage is crippling the power production of state-run NTPC Ltd, which has reported a loss of 126 million units in generation between April and June this year, a union minister said here Monday. "NTPC's power stations at Farakka, Kahalgaon, Sipat, Talcher and Korba were affected due to shortage of coal supply," Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki told the Rajya Sabha.

July 15th, 2009 RAIPUR - A 500-MW power plant near here stopped generating electrictiy merely two days after it was dedicated to the nation Sunday because of a severe shortage of coal. The plant, set up by NTPC-SAIL Power Co Ltd (NSPCL) - a joint venture between power utility NTPC Ltd and Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) - is located at Bhilai in Durg district, some 30 km west of Raipur.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The power shortage in the capital will stay for at least another seven months and the situation will only improve after power projects planned for the 2010 Commonwealth Games start, union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Thursday. The power demand in Delhi has increased to 4,400 MW against the usual 3,500 MW per day.

July 4th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The power situation in Orissa is grim as the state is receiving less electricity than it requires, says state Energy Minister Atanu Sabyasachi. "The power situation is grim.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi government Wednesday advised people in the capital, who are battling power cuts amid sweltering heat, to use electricity judiciously and avoid "any future shortage which may happen because of uncertainty of the monsoon". Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit held a meeting to review present power situation in Delhi, which was attended by power secretary and tops officials of power distribution companies (Discoms) - the BSES and the New Delhi Power Ltd (NDPL).

June 21st, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Sunday began reducing power supply to industrial units by up to 50 percent to help it overcome shortage, Energy Minister Atanu Sabyasachi said here. The state, which needs between 2,900 to 3,000 MW daily during peak hours and 2,400 to 2,500 MW during non-peak hours, is facing acute power shortage due to outage at a few thermal plants.

June 6th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Britain-based Vedanta Resources, which has invested over Rs.25,000 crore (Rs.250 billion) in different projects in Orissa, was committed to completing all planned projects in the state, its chairman Anil Agarwal said here Saturday. "We have taken a decision for Orissa.

April 8th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Nationalist Congress Party alliance with the Left parties and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa is 'only Orissa-specific', NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here Wednesday. 'Our arrangement is only Orissa-specific,' Pawar told a press conference, addressed jointly with Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik.

February 25th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Power trader PTC India will swap power with Orissa to help it overcome the power shortage it is facing currently, an official said Wednesday. PTC - formerly Power Trading Corp of India - will supply about 150 MW daily to Grid Corp of Orissa (Gridco), the bulk supplier of electricity in the state.

February 17th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa government has sought Rs.15 billion (Rs.1,500 crore) from the central government to tackle the economic slowdown, the government said Wednesday. Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei placed the demand with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in the national capital Tuesday.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi faced a power shortage of about 600 MegaWatt (MW) Friday due to the indefinite strike by officers of public sector oil firms that resulted in the disruption of gas supply. The shortage has come up due to the non-operation of the 330 MW Pragati Power Plant, partial operation of the 282 MW Gas Turbine Power Station (GTPS) of Indrapratha Power Generation Company and reduction of 110 MW in Delhi's share due to partial/non-operation of Central sector gas power plants of Dadri, Auraiya and Anta, a statement issued by the Delhi government said.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Friday clarified that there was no shortage of compressed natural gas (CNG) and it had run 100 more buses than usual. 'There is no shortage of CNG supply for our buses.