metro india news  I hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday unveiled a series of major policy directions aimed at strengthening the state’s power sector, accelerating renewable energy adoption and reducing financial burdens on consumers.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Energy Department at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister announced the extension of incentives for the ferro alloys industry for another year, a move that will impose an additional burden of ₹1,053 crore on the state but is expected to safeguard a key industrial segment.

Naidu stressed that providing uninterrupted, high-quality electricity remains a top priority and instructed officials to reduce transmission and distribution losses significantly by 2029. He also directed the department to pursue power-swapping agreements with other states to reduce power purchase costs and expedite ongoing solar programmes under the PM-KUSUM and Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana schemes.

In a major step toward decentralised clean energy generation, the Chief Minister approved the installation of solar panels across more than 483 government buildings, targeting 150 MW of rooftop solar generation. Under the PM-KUSUM programme, the state aims to produce 4,792 MW of solar power, tapping temple and irrigation department lands for installations.

Naidu emphasised that consumers themselves should become small-scale electricity producers, selling surplus power back to the grid to generate additional income. He announced free rooftop solar panels for SC/ST households and a subsidy of ₹20,000 for BC consumers for up to 3 kW installations. The government will also implement the previously announced free electricity quotas of 200 units for weavers and 500 units for powerloom units.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that companies signing agreements under the Integrated Clean Energy (ICE) Policy begin operations within 60 days, guaranteeing clearances and issue resolutions without delay.

He said Andhra Pradesh must emerge as a new energy hub and called for innovation, lower interest burdens on power utilities, and reduced power purchase costs. Officials briefed Naidu that the first quarter of this year saw a reduction of 20 paise per unit in purchase cost and an annual saving of Rs. 400–500 crore through constant monitoring under the EPMS system. Naidu reiterated that power demand and supply trends must be analysed continuously to maintain quality supply.

The state is set to witness a major electric mobility push, with Naidu announcing the procurement of 1,000 electric buses for APSRTC and the establishment of 5,000 EV charging stations across Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister ordered a system to rate electricity supply quality and insisted on long-term planning to avoid generation shortfalls. The review meeting was attended by Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, and CMDs of TRANSCO, GENCO and DISCOMs.