LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief mnister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday directed the state’s energy department to ensure uninterrupted and quality electricity supply across rural and urban areas amid severe heat and rising power demand. He said the distribution system must be made more accountable and consumer‑centric. Reviewing the power supply situation in a meeting attended by energy minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, minister of state Kailash Singh Rajput and officials of Power Corporation and discoms, he called for continuous monitoring at all levels so that citizens, farmers, businesses and industries do not face shortages.The CM instructed officials to maximise the use of available generation capacity and prioritise technical efficiency and maintenance across all power plants. Officials informed that the total generation capacity of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited has increased to 13,388 MW, including 9,120 MW from thermal projects in Anpara, Obra, Harduaganj, Parichha, Jawaharpur and Panki, and 526.4 MW from hydropower. Joint venture projects in Meja, Ghatampur and Khurja are providing an additional 3,742 MW. Compared to 2022, the installed capacity of the state’s generation corporation has risen by 86 percent by 2026. Around 10,000 MW is also being produced from non‑conventional energy sources.Adityanath emphasised strengthening and modernising the transmission network to meet the growing power demand. Officials reported that Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited operates 60,858 circuit‑kilometres of transmission lines and 715 substations with 2,05,632 MVA capacity. Transmission availability stands at 99.30 percent and transmission losses have reduced to 3.2 percent.The CM said the distribution system must be made more accountable and consumer‑centric. He directed feeder‑wise monitoring and warned that negligence in transformer maintenance, feeder breakdowns or complaint redressal would not be tolerated. Despite storms on May 4, 7 and 15 affecting 38 substations and 326 feeders, restoration work was carried out promptly. He also instructed that proper approvals be taken before excavation in areas with underground cables.Officials said transformer damage has significantly declined. Power transformer failures dropped by about 80 percent, from 429 in 2022–23 to 87 in 2025–26. Damage to distribution transformers above 100 kVA also reduced from 39,177 units to 20,292 in the same period due to safety measures, timely repairs and enhanced accountability.Power demand has risen due to increased temperatures in April and May. From April 15 to May 22, average daily demand met increased from 501 MU to 561 MU, and peak demand rose from 29,831 MW to 30,339 MW. Uttar Pradesh ranked second among states meeting the highest power demand on May 20, 21 and 22. The CM instructed officials to ensure availability through all possible sources, including power purchase arrangements. UPPCL has arranged power banking with 12 states to meet requirements.Adityanath stressed the need for a long‑term energy strategy based on future demand. Officials stated that Uttar Pradesh has tied up 32,305 MW of power capacity between 2015 and 2026, with about 62 percent added in the last three years. Work is underway to add 10,719 MW by 2029 through wind, battery storage, pumped hydro and hybrid projects.He also called for making consumer services more transparent and technology‑driven. The integrated 1912 call center system has been in operation since November 2025 through centres in Lucknow and Noida. The call‑handling capacity has been increased from 75,000 to 90,000 calls per day. He directed the ministers to inspect the call centres physically and instructed officials to provide accurate and timely information to consumers during outages, including clear timelines for restoration.The chief minister also reviewed the smart meter system. Officials said 89.23 lakh smart meters have been installed, and all prepaid smart meters have been shifted back to postpaid mode as per govt directions. From June 2026, bills for smart meter consumers will be issued between the 1st and 10th of every month on a postpaid basis through SMS, WhatsApp and email. Special camps are being organised across the state until June 30 to resolve smart meter‑related complaints. Adityanath stressed improving billing and collection efficiency and ensuring accurate and timely bills for consumers.
