Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka underscored electricity as the "backbone" of the state's ambitious economic trajectory, dismissing opposition allegations of irregularities in new power projects. Bhatti outlined a comprehensive 10-year plan (FY25–FY35) to meet surging demand, blending green initiatives with strategic thermal expansions to ensure reliability and growth.

In a detailed PowerPoint presentation to the media on Saturday, Bhatti highlighted power's pivotal role in fueling industries, services, AI and data infrastructure, modern agriculture, employment, and sectoral development. "Without reliable electricity, our vision of a $3 trillion GDP by 2047—demanding 13% annual economic growth—remains unattainable," he asserted.

Telangana's electricity demand has surged at a 9.77% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past decade, far outpacing national projections from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The state's bottom-up assessments, factoring in urbanization, electric vehicles (EVs), data centers, and irrigation, forecast an 8.5% annual rise, with peak demand doubling in the next decade and ballooning eight-fold to over 100,000 MW by 2047.

Criticizing the previous BRS government's lapses, Bhatti pointed to the Yadadri thermal plant as a cautionary tale: built 250 km from the nearest coal block, it incurs ₹1,600 crore annually in wasteful coal transport. "We won't repeat such errors," he vowed.

In contrast, the proposed new Ramagundam thermal plant leverages abundant local coal and water, minimizing costs and environmental impact. Dismissing BRS leader Harish Rao's claims of a ₹50,000 crore scam in new projects, Bhatti emphasized transparency: priority will go to NTPC based on competitive pricing, with GENCO as a fall back. He warned that renewables alone can't stabilize the grid, citing the April 2025 Spain-Portugal blackout as a stark reminder. A similar collapse in Telangana could inflict ₹1,500–2,000 crore in daily economic losses, crippling hospitals, defense, transport, telecom, and data centers.

Green energy forms the "core pillar" of the strategy, aligning with India's Paris Agreement commitments and Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets, now enforceable under the Ministry of Power's September 27, 2025, notification with penalties for non-compliance. Telangana must ramp up solar, wind, and hydel procurement beyond CEA timelines, targeting 50% green energy by 2030 and 100% by 2070. With a three-year lead time for solar adoption, the state is advancing government-built assets and private Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 25-year terms. Wind potential stands at 25 GW at 120-meter hub heights, to be tapped gradually in a diversified mix.

Energy storage emerged as a critical gap, essential for round-the-clock (RTC) power and curbing solar waste. Bhatti announced adoption of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs), with opportunities in 12 regions, including the Pinnapuram project by Greenko (requiring 5–6 years). Procurement models include Storage-as-a-Service, GENCO, and public-private partnerships, addressing a projected 8,207 MW storage need by 2029–30 to avert a 1,000 MW deficit.

On the new Makthal project, Bhatti clarified that while  sufficient government land exists, no final call has been made on solar, thermal, or nuclear options. "Authorities will study and recommend the best fit," he said, diverging from a recent cabinet announcement favoring thermal. By 2027–28, no shortages are anticipated, but proactive planning ensures self-sufficiency till 2034–35, per central estimates.

Bhatti lauded the Congress government's "forward-thinking vision," crediting collective cabinet efforts. As Telangana vies globally with Hyderabad as a hub, Bhatti urged investments in solar, thermal, wind, and storage. "Power isn't just energy—it's our pathway to prosperity," he stressed, calling for unified support.

IT Minister Sridhar Babu echoed the need for fiscal prudence, slamming past inefficiencies. Sridhar Babu was critical of the BRS leaders accusations misleading the public when there was nothing that took place regarding projects rather than mere announcements by the government. When all the new projects costs put together does not excess Rs 50,000 crore at all, how come Harish Rao is taking that figure and pointing fingers at the government, Sridhar Babu said.

Harish Rao slams Congress over claims

Senior BRS leader and former Minister T. Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu accusing the Congress government of presenting contradictory data on Telangana’s power sector and pushing dubious 2,400 MW thermal power projects allegedly to earn massive commissions.

Rao pointed out glaring inconsistencies across three official documents released by the government itself

He highlighted Solar Capacity mismatch. The December 2023 Power White Paper claimed 6,123 MW installed solar capacity, but the Clean & Green Energy Policy-2025 (Jan 2025) reduced it to 5,415 MW. “Did solar capacity decrease in two years?” asked Rao.

Thermal Power Flip-Flop: The same policy projects only marginal increase in thermal capacity (from 14,164 MW today to 16,966 MW by 2034-35), yet the government claims a 5,000–6,000 MW thermal deficit and is hurriedly sanctioning 2,400 MW new coal plants worth ₹50,000 crore, ignoring 1,600 MW cheaper NTPC power available under the AP Reorganisation Act.

Harish accused the government of abandoning Green Targets. Despite promising 20,000 MW renewable energy by 2030, the government is aggressively pursuing costly thermal plants instead of solar/wind projects.

The BRS leader alleged the sudden push for thermal plants at Makthal and elsewhere is driven by 30–40% commissions rather than actual power needs. He also exposed contradictions on Yadadri and Ramagundam plant costs quoted by ministers, terming the entire episode a “₹50,000 crore scam in the making.