Coal-fired electricity plants in 166,000 megawatt (mw) would shut down if the Union Budget proposals are employed, as per the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF).
These older thermal power stations supply the least expensive source of power. Following these plants are closed, the energy distribution companies are forced to secure expensive renewable electricity from private manufacturers and pass on the higher cost burden to the customers.
The Budget proposes to install prepaid smart meters and this would eliminate all the current tasks of meter reading and revenue collection, thus negatively affecting almost 300,000 employment chances.
Terming the energy industry proposals from the Union Budget as ‘anti-people’ and geared toward bettering large industrial houses, AIPEF plans to protest against this.
Coal power plants totaling 15,000 mw in power and situated in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Haryana have already been served closure notice.
Reference- Economic Times, Market Research Correspondent, Business Standard