Power sector of Andhra Pradesh is divided into 4 categories namely Regulation, Generation, Transmission and Distribution. Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) is the regulatory body. APGENCO deals with the electricity production and also maintenance, proposes new projects and upgrades existing ones as well. The APGENCO also set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), named as Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Limited (APPDCL), a joint venture company of APGENCO (with 50% equity) and IL&FS (50% equity) to set up Krishnapatanam thermal power project (2x800 MW).

APTRANSCO is set up for transmission of power. APGENCO, APPDCL, NTPC and other private firms contribute to the generation of power in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has become the second state in India to achieve 100% electrification of all households. Weighted average cost of power generation and purchases is INR 3.45 per kWh which is highest in the country. Andhra Pradesh is also leader by installing 433 nos electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) out of 927 nos installed in the entire country as on 30 June 2020.

Under the program of installing 500 GW capacity of renewable power capacity by 2030, nearly 59 GW (25%) of solar and wind power is identified out of 236.58 GW in three districts of the state.

The newly formed Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation Limited (APGECL), a 100% subsidiary of APGENCO, will be the trading agency/licensee for the 10 GW solar project in a phased manner and for connecting it to the grid. The 10 GW solar projects would be used to meet the entire agriculture power consumption which will be met during the day time for nine hours duration daily. Andhra Pradesh is also leading in installation of solar power /off grid agriculture pump sets. A renewable energy export policy for Andhra Pradesh was also announced to facilitate the setting up of 120 GW solar, wind and solar-wind hybrid energy parks by using 0.5 million acres of land. New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP), a state owned company, is actively involved in promoting renewable energy projects in the state. Roof top solar power cost/unit in the state are falling below the domestic power tariff.

The total installed utility power generation capacity is nearly 24,854 MW in the state as of 31 March 2020 APtransCo has made long term power purchase agreements for 19,068 MW as of 31 March 2019. The per capita electricity consumption is 1234 units with 63,143 million KWh gross electricity supplied in the year 2018–19. The performance of Krishnapatanam thermal power station (2X800 MW) with super critical pressure technology is not satisfactory even after one year commercial operation as the units rarely operate at rated capacity forcing the state to purchase costly power from day ahead trading in IEX.

Short term power purchases APDisComs purchase regularly from the energy exchange, etc. to meet the peak load and energy shortages. As the power purchases/sales are done on daily basis without proper planning and optimum utilization of APGENCO power generation capacity, APERC has given guidelines to the DisComs for implementation while making short term (less than one year duration) purchases and sales in the year 2022.

Non-renewable

Thermal power

Thermal power plants are based on the fuel coal, gas, diesel etc. Public sector undertaking NTPC, state level power generating companies and private firms are engaged in this sector for power generation.

Currently operating coal based thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh are listed below. Name Operator Location District Sector Capacity(MW) Coordinates Simhadri Super Thermal Power Plant NTPC Parawada Anakapalli Central 2,000 Dr Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station APGENCO Vijayawada NTR State 2,560 Rayalaseema Thermal Power Station APGENCO Muddanur Kadapa State 1,650 Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station APPDCL Krishnapatnam Nellore Joint 2,400 Vizag Thermal Power Station Hinduja Gajuwaka Visakhapatnam Private 1,040 Simhapuri Thermal Power Station SEPLKrishnapatnam Nellore Private 600 Meenakshi Thermal Power Station MEPLKrishnapatnam Nellore Private 1,000 Sembcorp Energy India Limited SEIL Krishnapatnam Nellore Private 1,320 SGPL Power Station SGPL Krishnapatnam Nellore Private 1,320 TOTAL 13,890

Gas fuel-based

The following are the list of presently installed combined cycle gas turbine power plants and diesel engine power plants in the state. However many of these power plants are not operating due to non-availability of natural gas and high cost of liquid fuels.

Power station Operator Location District Sector Capacity(MW) Plant Coordinates APGPCL Plant APGPCL Vijjeswaram W. Godavari Joint 272 Lanco Kondapalli Power Plant Lanco Infratech Kondapalli NTR Private 1466 Gautami Combined Cycle Power Plant GVK Peddapuram Kakinada Private 464 Konaseema Combined Cycle Power Plant Konaseema Gas Power Limited (KGPL) Ravulapalem Konaseema Private 445 Vemagiri Combined Cycle Power Plant GMR Vemagiri E. Godavari Private 370 GMR Rajamundry Combined Cycle Power Plant GMR Vemagiri E. Godavari Private 768 Samarlakota Combined Cycle Power Plant Reliance Samarlakota Kakinada Private 1870 Godavari Gas Power Plant APGENCO Jegurupadu E. Godavari State 216 Jegurupadu Combined Cycle Power Plant GVK Jegurupadu E. Godavari Private 229 Spectrum Combined Cycle Power Plant Spectrum Kakinada Kakinada Private 209 GMR (barge mounted) Power Plant GMR Kakinada Kakinada Private 237 LVS Diesel Engine Power Station Greenko Vishakhapatnam Visakhapatnam Private 37 Panduranga CCPP PESPL Annadevarapeta W. Godavari Private 116 RVK Energy power plant KSK Energy Ventures Rajahmundry E. Godavari Private436 Sriba power plant Sriba industries Chigurukota Krishna Private 30 Silkroad sugar power plant EID Parry Kakinada Kakinada Private 35 Srivathsa Power plant Asian Genco Private 17Total 7,217

Renewable

Hydroelectric This is the list of major hydroelectric power plants in Andhra Pradesh.

Power station name Operator Location Sector Unit wise CapacityMW Capacity MW Donkarayi PH APGENCO E. Godavari State 1x25 25.00 Hampi canal Power House (PH) APGENCO Joint project of AP, TS & KarnatakaLocated in Karnataka State 4 x 9 (AP Share-28.8) 28.80 Lower Sileru PH APGENCO E. Godavari State 4 x 115 460.00 Machkund PH APGENCO Joint project of AP, TS & OdishaLocated in Odisha State 3 x 17 + 3 x 23 (AP Share-84) 84.00 Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal PH APGENCO Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Palnadu district State 3 x 30 90.00 Nagarjuna Sagar tail pond PH APGENCO Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Palnadu district State 2 x 25 50.00 Penna Ahobilam PH APGENCO Korrakodu, Anantapur district State 2 x 10 20.00 Srisailam Right Bank PH APGENCO Srisailam, Nandyal State 7 x 110 770.00 TB Dam PH APGENCO Joint project of AP, TS & KarnatakaLocated in Karnataka State 4 × 9 (AP Share-28.8) 28.80 Upper Sileru PH APGENCO Alluri Sitarama Raju State 4 x 60 240.00 Somasila PH Balaji Energy Nellore Private 2 x 5, 2 x 4, 1 x 2, 1 x 3 23.00Chettipeta Mini Hydel APGENCO West Godavari district State 2 x 0.5 1.00 Polavaram Hydro-Electric project APGENCO Anguluru, Polavaram district State 12 x 80 Under Construction Pinnapuram Pumped Storage Project (PSP) Greenko Energy Nandyal district Private 6 x 240, 2 x 120 1680Veeraballi PSP Astha Green near Veeraballi, Kadapa district Private 2720 MW Under investigation Upper Sileru PSP APGENCO near Sileru village, Alluri Sitarama Raju State 9 x 150 MW by 2028-29. Under construction Chitravati PSP Adani Renewable Energy Fifty One Limited near Peddakotla village, Anantapuramu district State 2 x 250 MW by 2026-27. Under construction Gandikota PSP Adani Renewable Energy FortyTwo Limited Kurnool district State 4 x 250 MW by 2028-29. Under construction Singanamala PSP NREDCAP Anantapuramu district State 800 MW Under investigation Overall capacity in (MW) 3500.60

Pumped storage hydroelectricity projects Pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) projects with high water head are the cheap means of converting intermittent renewable power generation sources like solar PV or wind power in to base load supply for round the clock needs throughout the year. AP state is endowed with vast PHES potential adequate to utilise its vast solar PV power generation potential (above 1,000,000 MW installed on 16,000 km2 marginal lands) to meet ultimate green energy requirements of its peak population (60 million). AP is considering on a major scale to install PHES projects to make available the surplus wind and solar power during the peak load hours. PHESs also generate income, in addition to hydroelectricity cess/royalty, to the state in the form of water use charges at commercial rates for the evaporation loss or consumptive water from the reservoirs. The area occupied by the high head PHES is less than the area occupied by the equivalent battery energy storage system (BESS) housed in a three storied building. High head PHES installation cost (< US$40 per KWh in a day) is less than the cost of land and buildings required to house the equivalent BESS. PHES are more suitable in India where energy and water storage needs are complementary. Unlike the static BESS, the rotating turbo-generator of a PHES will enhance dynamic inertia (GD2) of the grid which contributes to a stable grid to ride through the power disturbances when power generation in the grid is dominated by the static solar PV power. Variable speed PHES plants also deliver the power grid ancillary services. In high head PHES, unlined pressure tunnels/shafts are constructed to the extent feasible for reducing construction cost.

The water reservoir of a PHES is created by building embankment dams wherever required up to the required height and length. The rock required for building the dams is excavated from the reservoir area. Cheaper drilling and blasting method is extensively used deploying state of the art earth moving equipment because huge quantity of rock excavation is required for the construction of the rock-fill dams.

Polavaram right bank PHES: