Shri Piyush Goyal Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines has informed that the inter-state transmission lines are planned and implemented as a part of the evacuation system from inter-state generation stations and also as system strengthening projects. These lines are mainly used for delivery of power from these generating stations to their beneficiaries in various states. The inter-state transmission lines i.e. the transmission lines within a region and also the inter regional lines are also used for transfer of power from surplus states/regions to deficit states/regions, subject to availability of margins in these lines.
Further, the Minister said that a number of inter-regional links have been planned which interconnect the five regional grids i.e. Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and North Eastern regions. Presently, the total transmission capacity of such inter-regional links is 59,550 MW (June 2016) which is expected to increase to 68,050 MW by the end of 12th Plan i.e. March 2017.
Shri Goyal noted that Gujarat and other surplus States are entitled to seek Long Term, Medium Term and Short Term Open Access (STOA) for export of power to any part of the country. The nodal agency for the grant of Long Term Access (LTA) / Medium Term Open Access (MTOA) is Central Transmission Utility (CTU) and for STOA is the Regional Load Dispatch Center (RLDC). In Case, Gujarat or such surplus States intend to sell surplus power outside the state on long term basis they should seek long term transmission access well in advance as creation of any new transmission infrastructure takes a period of three to four years.
As per the scheme for operationalization of Power System Development Fund (PSDF), PSDF may be utilized for creating necessary transmission systems of strategic importance based on operational feedback by Load Dispatch Centers for relieving congestion in Inter-State Transmission Systems (ISTS) and intra-state system which are incidental to the ISTS are eligible for funding from PSDF. As per information available in Central Electricity Authority (CEA), no such scheme has been submitted by any entity till date, the Minister added.