Union Minister of Power & MoHUA Reviews Odisha’s Power Sector

Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, reviewed Odisha’s power sector with senior state officials in Bhubaneswar. Key discussions covered fly ash utilization, capacity expansion, transmission infrastructure, and power allocation. The Minister assured a joint meeting with the Coal, Environment, and Railways Ministries to resolve fly ash transportation challenges, including adequate rail rakes for long-distance movement.

Highlighting the need to meet growing power demands, the State Government informed that Odisha currently has 20 GW of operational coal-based thermal power capacity, with an additional 10 GW in the pipeline, expected to be commissioned over the next 5–6 years. The Union Minister encouraged the development of more pit-head thermal power plants in Odisha, including through joint ventures with GENCOs of other states.

On the transmission front, Odisha shared its intra-state planning strategy and recent progress in strengthening supply to cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Hon’ble Minister was also apprised of the steps taken by the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) to resolve Right of Way (RoW) issues. He informed that the proposal for establishing a Green Energy Corridor within the intrastate transmission network of Odisha will be taken up by MNRE after March 31, 2025, upon completion of the compilation process.

Regarding the inclusion of Odisha in the subsequent phase of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the Union Minister assured that the matter would be taken up appropriately. On power allocation, he stated that Odisha will receive adequate power from Phase-II of NLCIL’s Talabira Thermal Power Project in line with Ministry of Power guidelines.