Lok Sabha Question No. 4447 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Power Generation Capacity
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4447 ANSWERED ON 27.03.2025

## POWER GENERATION CAPACITY

†4447. SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the  total  power  generation  capacity  in  the  country,  year-wise  since  the  year 2015;

(b) the steps taken by the Union Government to increase power generation capacity since the year 2014;

(c) whether the per-unit cost of power generation has increased due to coal imports in recent years, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  the  per-unit  cost  of  power generation?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) : The  year  wise  details  of  total  power  generation  capacity  in  the  country  from 2014-15 to 2024-25 (upto February 2025) are given at Annexure.

(b) : Government of India has taken following steps to increase the power generation capacity in the country since 2014:

(i) Increase in installed capacity from 2,48,554 MW in March 2014 to 4,70,448 MW in February  2025  including  increase  in  installed  capacity  of  coal  based  thermal power  plants    from  1,39,663  MW  to  2,15,193  MW  and  Renewable  Energy  (RE) (including Large Hydro) from 75,519 MW to 2,14,678 MW during this period.

(ii) Addition of 2,01,088 circuit kilometer (ckm) of transmission lines, 7,78,017 MVA of  Transformation  capacity  and  82,790  MW  of  Inter-Regional  capacity    with capability of transferring 1,18,740 MW from one corner of the country to another.

(iii) Waiver of ISTS charges on transmission of electricity generated from Solar, Wind, Pumped Storage Plants and Battery Energy Storage Systems.

(iv) Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) and Energy Storage obligations Trajectory till 2029-30.

- (v) Construction of Green Energy Corridors and putting in place 13 Renewable Energy Management Centres.

.........2.

- (vi) Setting up of Ultra Mega  Renewable  Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers for installation of RE projects at large scale.
- (vii) Reduction  of  AT&C  losses  from  22.62%  in  2013-14  to  16.28  %  in  2023-24.  All current payment of GENCOs are up-to-date and the legacy dues of GENCOs have come down from Rs. 1,39,947 crore to Rs. 18,857 Crore.
- (viii) In 2019, Government announced measures to promote Hydro Power Sector such as Declaring Large Hydro Projects (> 25 MW) as Renewable Energy source, Tariff rationalization measures for bringing down hydropower tariff, Budgetary Support for Flood moderation / Storage Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs), Budgetary Support towards  Cost  of  Enabling  Infrastructure  i.e.,  roads  /  bridges,  etc.  The  scope  of Budgetary support towards cost of enabling infrastructure has been subsequently expanded on 08.10.2024 to include : (a) Transmission line upto nearest cooling point  including  upgradation  of  cooling  sub-stations,  (b)  Railway  sidings,  (c) Communication infrastructure, and (d) Rope ways.
- (ix) Introduction of SHAKTI policy for transparent allocation of coal to Thermal Power plants. This enabled efficient domestic coal allocation to Thermal Power Plants and also ensured revival of various stressed Thermal Power Projects.
- (x) Construction  of  the  Inter-State  transmission  system  ahead  of  the  generation capacity.

(c) : The cost of generation of electricity from coal based power plant is dependent upon the price of coal and cost of freights and in case of blending also the price of the blended imported coal. The price of imported coal is linked with International Indices, source  of  origin  and  factors  like  ocean  freight,  insurance  etc.  which  vary  with international  demand  supply  scenario.  Further,  every  generating  company  consumes imported coal as per its requirement.

Average Power purchase cost has decreased by 5 Paisa between FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24.

- (d)  :    Government  of  India  have  taken  following  steps  to  reduce  the  cost  of  power generation  in the county :
- (i) Setting  up  of  Power  Exchanges  to  ensure  fair,  neutral,  efficient  and  robust electricity price discovery.
- (ii) Introduction of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal by State/Central Generation Companies (GENCOs).
- (iii) Rationalization of linkage sources of State/Central Generating Companies (GENCOs)  and  Independent  Power  Producers  (IPPs)  with  a  view  to  optimize transportation cost has been allowed.
- (iv) Issuance  of  guidelines  for  tariff  based  bidding  process  for  procurement  of electricity  under  Section  63  of  Electricity  Act,  2003  to  promote  competitive procurement of electricity by distribution licensees.
- (v) Reduction of Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses under RDSS will improve the finances of the utilities, which will enable them to better maintain the system and buy power as per requirements; benefitting the consumers.
- (vi) Operationalisation of National Merit Order Dispatch with the objective of lowering the cost of electricity to consumers.

*********

ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4447 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 27.03.2025 *************

The year wise details of total power generation capacity in the country from 2014-15 to 2024-25 (upto February 2025):

| Year                     | Installed Capacity (in MW)   |
|--------------------------|------------------------------|
| 2014-15                  | 2,75,895                     |
| 2015-16                  | 3,06,330                     |
| 2016-17                  | 3,28,146                     |
| 2017-18                  | 3,45,631                     |
| 2018-19                  | 3,57,871                     |
| 2019-20                  | 3,71,334                     |
| 2020-21                  | 3,83,521                     |
| 2021-22                  | 3,99,497                     |
| 2022-23                  | 4,16,059                     |
| 2023-24                  | 4,41,970                     |
| 2024-25 (up to Feb 2025) | 4,70,448                     |

**************