March 2010 witnessed 1,950 mw of new generating capacity getting commissioned, the highest monthly addition during the ongoing 11th Plan. This commendable feat, which also exceeded the target of 1,881 mw fixed for the month, took the cumulative capacity augmentation for fiscal 2009-10 to a record 9,585 mw. The shortfall vis-à-vis target went down to 34 per cent, from 69 per cent in 2008-09 and 44 per cent in 2007-08. Private sector accounted for 45 per cent of capacity commissioned during the year, Central government 33 per cent and state government around 22 per cent. The first three years of the 11th Plan recorded addition of 22,302 mw --only fifty per cent achievement of the target, but the feat was equivalent to over fourfifths the addition during the earlier 10th Plan and bettered the average addition during the eighth and the ninth Plan. There has been some noticeable result-oriented action in recent months in the sector, though the pace needs to be pushed up much further in view of power becoming a formidable infrastructure constraint in the country.

POWER CAPACITY ADDITION IN XI PLAN
(mw)
	2007-08		2008-09		2009-10		2007-08 to 2009-10
	Actual	Target	Actual	Target	Actual	Target	Actual	Target
Thermal	6,620	12,704	2,485	9,304	9,106	13,002	22,107	31,114
Hydro	2,423	2,751	969	1,097	39	845	3,431	4,693
Nuclear	220	880	0	660	220	660	440	2,200
Total	9,263	16,335	3,454	11,061	9,585	14,507	22,302	41,903

By the way, renewable energy sources (small hydro power, wind energy, biomass, waste to energy, cogeneration, etc), performed remarkably well. This source of energy has seen addition of 7,760 mw during the first three years of the current plan. The share of renewables worked out to 10 per cent in total power capacity of 159,399 mw, against around 6 per cent at the end of the 10th Plan and less than 2 per cent at the end of the 9th Plan. Captive power connected to the grid amounted to 19,509 mw.

Power generation was up by 8.3 per cent in March, improving upon 6.8 per cent in February, 5.5-5.6 per cent in December-January and 3.3 per cent in November last year. The cumulative generation over the fiscal worked out to 6.6 per cent, vastly better than 2.7 per cent in the corresponding year a year ago. Hydel generation yielded 6 per cent less power due to poor southwest monsoon, whereas thermal and nuclear power performed much better with 8 per cent and 27 per cent expansion, respectively. Plant load factor improved from 77.3 per cent to 77.5 per cent in thermal power, and from 41 per cent to 51 per cent in nuclear.

The average power deficit that had eased from 10.7 per cent in August to 7.9 per cent by November escalated to double digit in the subsequent four months. The peak demand/supply deficit was at 13.3 per cent in March. Average deficit over the fiscal was assessed at 10.1 per cent, against 11.1 per cent in the preceding year and 9.9 per cent two years back, averaging doubledigit shortfall for three consecutive years. Western region faced 13.7 per cent average deficit over the fiscal, Northern region faced 11.6 per cent, Southern region 6.4 per cent and Eastern region 4.5 per cent.

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