Panaji: The Electricity Department has laid out a comprehensive business plan for the financial years 2025–26 to 2029–30. Chief electrical engineer Stephan Fernandes said Goa is planning an infrastructure upgrade worth Rs 6,650 crores including modernisation of transformers, substations, and underground cabling.
He said, “This plan is essential to analyse our past data, identify patterns in power demand (called load growth), and then compare it with actual numbers,” Fernandes said. “This helps us identify the gap between supply and demand and plan how to address it.”
However, Fernandes said that this gap has already been considered and managed through government mechanisms. He said, “In the last three years alone, the load growth has shot up to nearly 8% to 12% annually, compared to just 0.49% to 1.19% over the previous six to seven years. Fortunately, Goa has longstanding contracts some as old as 25 years that help secure low-cost power. Yet, peak-hour demand has surged by nearly 25% to 30%, raising the urgency for better demand management and more efficient infrastructure.”
“We have a plan to integrate more renewable sources into our grid,” he said. “Currently, 132.5 MW is already planned, and we aim to expand further.” Fernandes said, “Our total annual revenue requirement for 2029–30 is projected at Rs 5,625.54 crores.” For the initial years, there will be a shortfall
Rs 149.33 crores in the first year and Rs 27.98 crores in the second. By the third year, the department expects a surplus of Rs 56.31 crores, continuing into subsequent years, he said. “Overall, over five years, the gap will be nearly zero,” he said.
The proposed tariff adjustments involve two parts of standard increase and a Time-of-Day (TOD) “We are proposing a 5.64% increase in 2025–26 and 4.88% in 2026–27,” Fernandes said. “The final two years will not see a hike.”
“This is necessary because during peak hours, power in the open market costs between Rs 8 to Rs 10 per unit,” said Fernandes. “Shifting consumption to non-peak times helps us avoid building more transmission lines and optimizes our current network.”
He also said that the Low Tension Low-Income Group (LT LIG) will now be charged Rs 20 fixed plus Rs 1 per unit.
