The Federal Government said it will present to electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) with investments work plan to build 33/11/0.415kV lines and distribution substations to utilize the 2,000 megawatts (MW) generated but currently unutilized.
This was among the key issues raised at the 23rd power sector stakeholders meeting, which held yesterday in Nasarawa state. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola had at the 22nd meeting held in Kogi state last year, disclosed that out of over 7,000 MW generated, only about 5,000MW could be off-taken by DisCos leaving 2,000MW stranded.
He said there was need for DisCos to resolve network related issues in their franchise to ensure that the unutilized 2,000MW was evacuated as more power would be generated from upcoming generation stations this year, 2018.
In a bid to resolve the problems associated with unutilized generating capacities, the report on areas that require investments at the 33/11kV voltage levels to unlock 2,000MW had been forwarded to Fashola, who is expected to unfold the programme of actions at the meeting as the Chairman.
Also, the federal government may unfold its modalities to engage the DisCos to implement the programme for such investments after endorsement by the Minister.
The meeting may also receive updates on the protracted debts of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) from the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, who doubles as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Power. She had earlier been directed to close the verification exercise of all MDA debts; while DisCos were ordered to fund MDA debts within their franchise and to provide location and data of Military Formations with disputed MDA debts.