Don't Press for Green Power Open Access: TS Energy Minister

HYDERABAD: Energy Minister G.Jagadish Reddy urged industrialists not to press for green energy open access as the state government had certain social obligations to fulfill in the power sector.

At an interactive session organised by the FTCCI, several industrialists had raised this issue but the minister urged them to understand the government's compulsions.

‘Open access’ enables large power consumers with more than 1 MW connected load to buy relatively cheaper power directly from power producers in the open market. Conventional consumers do not have such a choice. Green energy open access is aimed at ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable, and green energy. The same is not allowed by the state government.

"I know you will be disappointed with my reply.  You must think about our side as well. It is good that you would like to produce your own power without anything to do with the power grid.  But what about the power supply during the night for you,"  Reddy asked the industrialists.

Jagadish Reddy said that the state government had spent Rs 50,000 crore on transmission and distribution systems development.