India Will Have Surplus Power For the First Time Ever: Report

This is the first time that the country has declared a year of no shortage.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

India has, for the first time in history, declared that it will not have a shortage of power during the fiscal year, according to the latest data by Central Electricity Authority.

Authorities credit this to the current BJP government’s resolve to fix issues such as the fuel scarcity, and other such initiatives including a high-profile scheme to reform state distribution companies, which are a vital link between power plants and customers, according to an Economic Times report.

The country will have a surplus of 3.1% during peak hours and 1.1% during non-peak hours during 2016-17, according to the data. Western and Southern regions will have a surplus, whereas Northern and Eastern states will have a deficit.

Last year India had a deficit of -3.2% at peak hours and -2.1% at non-peak hours. However, the data hides the fact that these state utilities often choose to black out areas to reduce their losses, or due to technical failure, said the ET report.