MSEDCL wins Indian Chamber of Commerce’s award for best state-run power utility

The awards were declared at the conference held virtually on January 10 and 11 after reviewing the performances and achievements of 29 power distribution companies across the country. Alok Kumar, secretary at the Ministry of Power, and others were present.

A statement issued by the discom, which supplies electricity in 457 cities and 41,095 villages in Maharashtra, said it had over the years fast-tracked developing sufficient distribution network to provide electricity connection on demand, and that too in minimum time. The discom has successfully catered a demand of 22,832 MW in April-21, highest ever in its history without any load curtailment. With proper planning and effective utilization of market/exchange purchase tools, the company successfully met the recent global coal crisis, the statement added.

When Cyclone Tauktae hit hard the coastal districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Vasai, New Mumbai and Palghar in May 2021, putting more than 35 lakh consumers in dark, MSEDCL was the first company to restore power, within a week.

Nearly 90 per cent of the applications for rooftop connections has already been processed. By 2025, the discom plans to buy 17,360 MW power from renewable sources through competitive bidding, keeping in mind the falling prices of solar and wind projects in India. Despite its largest consumer base and vast distribution network, the company could reduce its distribution losses in the financial year 2020-21 to 15.29 per cent from the previous financial year’s 15.91 per cent.