Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has encouraged states to identify viable sites for nuclear power plants, especially in areas far from coal sources.
The government has already shortlisted 18 locations across the country for new nuclear capacity, aiming to increase nuclear power from 8 GW to 20 GW by 2032.
The Minister advised states to repurpose sites of retired coal-based thermal plants for this purpose.
At the recent Power Ministers’ conference on 12 November 2024, Khattar also emphasized the importance of implementing smart metering to reduce operational and financial losses.
States are advised to phase in smart meters, prioritizing high-load consumers first, and to incentivize prepaid users with a five percent rebate.
The Minister noted that peak power demand has now reached 250 GW, being successfully met through joint efforts across states.