Exploitable hydro power potential in the country is about 133 GW; 42 GW has been harnessed; more than 91 GW of unharnessed hydro potential: Central Electricity Authority study
New Delhi, Dec 07: The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy has informed that power generation from hydro-electric projects in the country during the last 3 years and the current year, against the target set by the Central Electricity Authority, is as given below.
| Year | Target Generation(in Billion Units) | Actual Generation(in Billion Units) | Achievement against Target |
| 2020-21 | 140.4 | 150.3 | +7.1% |
| 2021-22 | 149.5 | 151.6 | +1.4% |
| 2022-23 | 150.7 | 162.1 | +7.6% |
| 2023-24(till Oct 2023) | 114.2 | 102.3 | -10.4% |
Thus, the hydropower generation has consistently exceeded the targets. During the current year, it is less than the target mainly due to floods during July 2023 in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and devastating floods in Sikkim during October 2023, which affected generation as planned.
As per the reassessment study carried out by the Central Electricity Authority during the period 2017-2023, the exploitable hydro power potential in the country is about 1,33,410 MW, out of which 42,105 MW has been harnessed.
The State / UT-wise hydro power potential and its status of development in the country is as given below.
| STATUS OF LARGE HYDRO ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT | |||||||||
| (In terms of Installed capacity – Above 25 MW) | |||||||||
| Region/ State | Exploitable Identified Capacity as per Reassessment Study | Capacity In Operation | Capacity Under Active Construction | Capacity on which Construction is held up | H.E. Projects concurred by CEA and yet to be taken up for construction | H.E. Projects under Examination in CEA | H.E. Projects returned to project authorities | H.E. Projects under Survey & Investigation | H.E. Projects allotted for dev on which S&I is held up/ yet to be taken up |
| (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | (MW) | |
| NORTHERN | |||||||||
| Jammu & Kashmir | 12265 | 3360 | 3052 | 48 | 3119 | 0 | 390 | 1060 | 370 |
| Ladakh | 707 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 0 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 18305 | 10263 | 2446 | 44 | 937 | 0 | 400 | 1144 | 2700 |
| Punjab | 1301 | 1096 | 206 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Haryana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rajasthan | 411 | 411 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Uttarakhand | 13481 | 3975 | 1324 | 247 | 815 | 0 | 939 | 732 | 628 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 502 | 502 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sub Total (NR) | 46971 | 19696 | 7028 | 339 | 4871 | 0 | 1729 | 3031 | 3698 |
| WESTERN | |||||||||
| Madhya Pradesh | 2819 | 2235 | 0 | 400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1311 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gujarat | 550 | 550 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maharashtra | 3144 | 2647 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Goa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sub total (WR) | 7824 | 5552 | 0 | 400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SOUTHERN | |||||||||
| Andhra Pradesh | 2596 | 1610 | 1190 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Telangana | 1302 | 800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 320 | 0 | 0 |
| Karnataka | 4414 | 3689 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 665 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerala | 2473 | 1864 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 800 | 0 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1785 | 1778 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sub Total (SR) | 12570 | 9742 | 1330 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 985 | 800 | 0 |
| EASTERN | |||||||||
| Jharkhand | 300 | 210 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bihar | 130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 0 | 0 |
| Odisha | 2825 | 2155 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Bengal | 809 | 441 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 0 |
| Sikkim | 6051 | 2282 | 620 | 417 | 520 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sub Total (ER) | 10115 | 5088 | 740 | 417 | 520 | 0 | 130 | 90 | 0 |
| NORTH EASTERN | |||||||||
| Meghalaya | 2026 | 322 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 270 | 170 |
| Tripura | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manipur | 615 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assam | 643 | 350 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| Nagaland | 325 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 50394 | 1115 | 4880 | 0 | 13798 | 0 | 5323 | 14599 | 1520 |
| Mizoram | 1927 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sub Total (NER) | 55930 | 2027 | 5000 | 0 | 14069 | 0 | 5383 | 14869 | 1690 |
| ALL INDIA | 133410 | 42105 | 14098 | 1156 | 19460 | 0 | 8227 | 18790 | 5388 |
The Government of India has taken various policy measures to increase the generation from hydro power. These measures would not only help in development of the upcoming hydro power projects but also improve the generation. Some of the measures taken are as under:
- Declaration of large hydro power projects (of more than 25 MW capacity) as renewable energy source
- Notification of Hydro Purchase Obligations (HPO)
- Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for Hydro Power Projects and Pumped Storage projects (PSPs)
- Tariff rationalization measures for bringing down the tariff during the initial years
- Budgetary support for flood moderation component of hydro power projects
- Budgetary support for construction of enabling infrastructure, i.e. roads/bridges
- Empanelment of Independent Engineer(s) and Conciliation Committee of Independent Experts for expeditions resolution of contractual disputes in hydro power projects
- Issuance of guidelines on 10.04.2023 to promote Pumped Storage Projects
This information has been given by the Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh, in a written reply to a question, in Lok Sabha on December 7, 2023.
