Andhra Pradesh conserving power worth Rs 1,000 cr annually by energy efficiency

The Andhra Pradesh government is conserving 2,000 million units (mu) of power and saving about Rs 1,000 crore annually by promoting energy efficiency initiatives for the last three years, according to a senior state government official.

Besides demand-side management, the state government has undertaken steps to install LED street lights, promote solar pumps in farm fields and supply LED bulbs and energy saving appliances at cheaper rates for domestic consumption.

"We have made rapid progress in conserving energy. We have been able to save 2,000 mu annually for the last three years. This has helped to save about Rs 1,000 crore every year," the official told PTI.

Under the energy efficiency programme, the state government has so far completed installation of 18 lakh street lights in both rural and urban areas.

"Our aim is to complete 30 lakh LED street lights by December. No other state has made so much progress. In the entire country, about 68 lakh LED street lights have been installed as of now," the official said.

The state government has distributed over 2 crore LED bulbs to one crore families so far at a cheaper rate of Rs 10 per piece. Also, farmers are being encouraged to use solar pumps in their fields to save energy, he added.

While the state's total power requirement is 60,000 mu annually, the official said that the Andhra Pradesh government aims to conserve 15,000 mu of power in the next five years, .