Govt expects $300-bn (13.5 lacs crores) investment in power sector in XII Plan

The government is expecting an investment of $300 billion to come in the XII Five-Year Plan in the power sector, a senior Planning Commission official said on Thursday.

"We are expecting an investment of $300 billion in the power sector, including in power generation, transmission and distribution during the XII Five-Year Plan period," Planning Commission Member (Energy) B K Chaturvedi told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference here.

The government is likely to award three interstate power transmission projects to private entities by September, Chaturvedi said. "The aggregate value of these projects would be around Rs 60 billion," he said

Chaturvedi also mentioned that investments in distribution utilities are also picking up. The Planning Commission is also expecting an investment of Rs 50,000 crore to come in distribution through the Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme, he said.

The government is also keen to put emphasis on non- conventional energy, such as solar energy and wind energy. The government took initiatives for further availability of wind energy in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, he said.

On nuclear power, the government is looking for JV partners from countries like France, Russia and US, the Planning Commission member said.