The Ministry of Power convened the sixth meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament at Pinnapuram, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh on Monday. The session, chaired by Union Power Minister Manohar Lal, centered on accelerating Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs).
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Manohar Lal said India is now power-surplus, yet much renewable energy remains unused. He noted that Pumped Storage Projects could store excess green power and deliver it during non-solar hours. He called this vital for balancing the grid as renewable capacity grows.
He urged State Governments to speed up site allocation, water permissions and clearances. He asked MPs to work with States to consider removing green energy cess, water tax and reservoir lease fees to make PSPs more viable.
Officials briefed Members on recent policy steps. These include relaxed appraisal norms for off-stream PSPs, budgetary support for enabling infrastructure and a waiver of ISTS charges. Members said these moves have boosted confidence among developers. They also touched on environmental aspects of PSPs, wind and solar projects. Minister of State Shripad Yesso Naik, MPs from both Houses and senior officials from the Ministry, Central Electricity Authority and CPSUs attended the meeting.
