Electricity Bill– If you are also troubled by the increasing electricity bills every month, then there is a relief news for you. The government has relaxed some rules related to pollution control for coal-fired power plants. This may reduce the electricity prices (Electricity Cost Cut) by 25 to 30 paise per unit in the coming time.
What is the new decision of the government?
The government has recently issued a notification, which changes the 2015 rule that required FGD systems to be installed in all coal-based power plants. The FGD (Flue Gas Desulphurisation) system works to reduce the sulphur present in the gases emitted from the power plant.
Now this rule will be applicable only on those plants which are within a radius of 10 km and which have a city with a population of more than 10 lakhs. That means about 79 percent of the thermal power plants in the country will no longer be forced to install this system.
How will electricity become cheaper with the new rule?
According to government officials, there is a huge cost in installing and running the FGD system, which used to increase the cost of electricity production. Now that most plants have been exempted from this, electricity production will become cheaper and the common people will benefit from it. It is estimated that this can reduce electricity prices by 25-30 paise per unit.
The government has also clarified that the rule will still apply to power plants located in highly polluted areas or cities with severe air quality. But such cases will be looked at on an individual basis.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said in a report that at present the level of sulfur dioxide in most areas of the country is within the national standard. Apart from this, studies conducted by institutes like IIT Delhi, CSIR-NEERI and NIAS also revealed that carbon dioxide emissions can increase due to FGD system.