Bhubaneswar: At the Conference of State Energy Ministers and Energy Secretaries from Eastern Region States and UTs held in Patna today, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Energy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo presented the state’s ambitious energy transformation roadmap. The conference was chaired by Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Singh Deo highlighted Odisha’s commitment to building a resilient, green, and future-ready power infrastructure through strategic investments in renewables, transmission upgrades, cybersecurity, and financial reforms.
“Odisha has successfully transitioned from a power-sufficient to a power-empowered state,” said Singh Deo, adding that the current peak demand of 6,242 MW is being fully met.
Looking ahead, the state aims to generate 61% of its total power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2036, targeting an additional 11,294 MW capacity, of which 3,904 MW has already been contracted. The proposed mix includes solar, wind, hydro, distributed renewable energy (DRE), and pumped storage projects.
The Deputy CM also spoke about measures taken to strengthen grid resilience, including islanding schemes to ensure uninterrupted power during grid failures. By 2030, Odisha plans to have 225 substations and 20,939 ckm of transmission lines with a total transformation capacity of 45,369 MVA.
Key renewable power evacuation corridors under development include:
- Hirakud–Kolabira–Duburi
- Indravati–Theruvali–Gopalpur
- Theruvali–Jayanagar (400kV LILO at pooling station)
- Balimela–Kolab–Jayanagar pooling station
Singh Deo also noted significant improvement in the financial health of DISCOMs. AT&C losses have declined from 29.5% in FY21 to 16.5% in FY25. Three out of four DISCOMs received A+ ratings in national rankings, placing them among India’s top 10 power utilities.
The Deputy CM sought support from the Union Government on several fronts:
- Rs 6,284 crore under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)
- Central financial assistance for disaster-resilient power infrastructure
- 800 MW allocation from NLC Talabira Phase II
- Viability gap funding for pumped storage projects under the Green Energy Transmission Corridor
- Support for floating solar, offshore wind, and tidal energy studies along Odisha’s coast
Additionally, Odisha requested:
- Exemption from Rs 400/ton compensation cess on coal dispatch from Manoharpur captive mine to OPGC
- Relaxation of ash utilization norms by the MoEF&CC
- Allotment of MCL mine voids for fly ash backfilling
- Easing of Forest Rights Act (FRA) clearance norms for transmission projects
The conference was also attended by Principal Secretary of Energy Vishal Dev and CMD of OPTCL Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma.
