The Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (AP-SECM) has saved5,600 Million Units (MU) of energy worth ₹3,800 crore in the last few years by installing energy-efficient appliances and through various other initiatives.
To achieve its overall objectives, the SECM has brought out the State Energy Efficiency Action Plan for the next five years, covering all sectors with due priority to bring down the cost of power in energy-intensive industries which have the maximum potential under the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme.
“We are monitoring the overall progress of energy-efficiency (EE) activities and helping the stakeholders in adopting new technologies aimed at saving energy,” said SECM CEO A. Chandrasekhar Reddy.
In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy said that the State government was on a mission to promote EE and conservation activities and spread awareness about the same, in September 2012, before which it was an Energy Coordination Cell.
Ever since the SECM came into existence, it has succeeded to a large extent in fulfilling its mandate under the stewardship of the Chief Secretary of the State government, who is also the chairman of SECM, and with the support of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Energy Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and Special Chief Secretary (energy) K. Vijayanand, and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
The SECM has been advising the State government on the implementation of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. It laid emphasis on saving energy in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and in the area of lighting, where the conventional bulbs are replaced with LED bulbs. The average annual energy savings in ULBs is pegged at 38.28 MUs.
As per an assessment by the BEE, Andhra Pradesh has saved around 0.511 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent in 32 energy-intensive industries covered by the PAT Cycle -2 by taking various EE measures. Adoption of the mandatory building codes for new residential and commercial buildings was a significant step towards making them energy-efficient.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy said focus was also laid on realising the energy-saving potential of around 98,000 MSMEs in the State, and on other identified areas.
Andhra Pradesh has won national awards for its exemplary efforts in the implementation of EE and conservation programmes at the national level for the last three consecutive years and the SECM continues to strive to enable the State to hold on to its leadership position.
Published - May 29, 2023 07:56 pm IST
