TNPDCL'S SALE OF HT POWER DROPS AS INDUSTRIES SWITCH TO OTHER SOURCES

THE sale of electricity to industries connected through High Tension (HT) power lines in Tamil Nadu has fallen sharply over the last 10 years, with data from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) showing that it has come down by 5,460 million units (MUs) in this period.

- S GURUVANMIKANATHAN

According to official records, TNPDCL sold 29,100 MUs of electricity to HT industries in 2015-16. This came down to 23,640 MUs in 2024-25, which is a drop of over 18%.

Officials said the main reason for the decline is the growing number of industries shifting to captive power generation, especially from renewable energy sources.

The decline has come despite the number of HT consumers in Tamil Nadu increasing from 5.98 lakh in 2014 to about 8 lakh now. Officials said the downward trend in sale is expected to continue in the current financial year as well.

A senior TNPDCL official told