Energy efficiency a core govt priority: Vijayanand

Vijayawada: Chief secretary and Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM) chairman K Vijayanand said that energy efficiency and conservation must be treated as a core governance priority, as they play a crucial role in reducing power demand, lowering public expenditure, and supporting the State’s long-term sustainability goals. He directed all government departments and agencies to integrate energy efficiency measures into routine planning and ensure time-bound implementation with measurable outcomes.

The chief secretary chaired the 15th executive committee and 4th state-level steering committee meetings of APSECM, held virtually on Tuesday from the Secretariat in Amaravati.

APGenco managing director and APSECM chief executive officer S Nagalakshmi briefed the committee on the physical progress of ongoing energy efficiency programmes and key proposals aimed at strengthening conservation efforts across the State.

Reviewing initiatives such as Demand Side Management (DSM) programmes, implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), the Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, standards and labelling activities, market surveillance and appliance testing, Vijayanand said effective enforcement is essential to achieve tangible results. Referring to the super ECBC building constructed at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam, he said such demonstration projects should serve as models for future energy-efficient constructions and stressed the need for stronger ECBC enforcement by urban local bodies.

Emphasising awareness creation, the chief secretary said students should be sensitised to energy conservation at an early age and directed APSECM to expand energy clubs in schools and educational institutions.

He also called for the establishment of energy conservation cells in all government departments, heads of departments, autonomous bodies, and societies, with regular reporting of annual initiatives to APSECM.

On industrial and municipal energy efficiency, Vijayanand urged strengthening capacity-building programmes for industries and MSMEs and effective utilisation of APSECM’s technical expertise for energy audits of urban local bodies to reduce electricity expenditure.

He directed that energy efficiency measures be expedited in government hospitals, drinking water pumping stations, and government buildings, stating that public institutions must lead by example.

He welcomed initiatives for fuel switching and electrification of heat in industries, capacity-building on DSM regulations for discoms, and the establishment of NABL-accredited testing laboratories.

Stressing that energy efficiency remains one of the most cost-effective solutions to meet rising demand, the chief secretary called for coordinated, result-oriented action to improve Andhra Pradesh’s performance in energy efficiency and sustainability.

APTransco JMD G Surya Sai Praveen Chand, APEPDCL CMD I Prudhvi Tej, APCPDCL CMD P Pulla Reddy and others participated in the meeting.