According to the recently released statistics of the Central Electricity Authority, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the number one state in terms of the addition of transmission lines by state transmission companies in 2023-24.  In 2022-23 also, Uttar Pradesh topped the list amongst the state utilities.

Uttar Pradesh leads the other states 

• In 2023-24, the state government-owned Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (UPPTCL) added 1,460 ckm(Circuit Kilometer) of transmission lines of 220kV or above. 
• Gujarat was in second place. The state-run Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd (GETCO) added 898 ckm of transmission line in 2023-24.
• At the third place was Tamil Nadu. The state-run utility company  Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TANTRANSCO) added 753 ckm of transmission line.
• Andhra Pradesh came fourth with its Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APTRANSCO), adding 682 ckm of the transmission line.

State Power Utilities lead the list in Transmission Addition 

In 2023-24, the state government-owned power companies added 6,993 km of transmission lines, which was around 64 per cent of the target. The target for all private and state government companies was 11,002 km of transmission lines. 

The UPPTCL was the major contributor among the state-run power utility companies, accounting for just over 20 per cent of the total addition by the state sector. 

The contribution of second-ranked Gujarat’s GETCO was around 13 per cent of the total addition by the state sector. 

What is a Transmission line?

The transmission system plays a vital role in evacuating power generated in a power plant to the consumer who lives in areas that are very far from the power plant.

Many power plants are situated where there are raw materials, like thermal power plants near coal-bearing areas and Hydel plants near water resources. The power consumption areas are like industrial plants, and residential areas are not always near power stations. Thus, to provide power in such areas, the government of India has set up corridors where power is transferred from the surplus area to the deficit areas. This is done through a network of transmission lines across the country.

Central Electricity Authority  

The Central Electricity Authority is a statutory body which was set up in 1951 under the Electricity (Supply) Act of 1948. The Electricity (Supply) Act of 1948 has been replaced by the Electricity Act 2003.

It comes under the Ministry of Power, government of India.

It performs a number of functions. It prepares the National Electricity Plan in accordance with the National Electricity Policy.

It approves the new hydel power plant to be set up in India.

It has six full-time members and a Chairman.

Chairman: Ghanshyam Prasad 

Headquarters: New Delhi