Faced with an escalating power crunch, the Tamil Nadu government has greenlit the revival of the Ennore Thermal Expansion Project. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the state’s energy policy, prioritizing thermal capacity to bridge the widening demand-supply gap. Ennore, Chennai’s key thermal hub, has faced capacity constraints as consumption soars. The expansion, dormant due to regulatory and ecological pushback, promises to inject 1,200 MW into the system. Government spokespersons emphasized that updated designs will comply with national environmental norms, featuring flue gas desulfurization. The announcement follows months of deliberation amid record-high power usage driven by urbanization and industrial boom. While critics argue for faster renewable adoption, proponents point to thermal power’s reliability during off-peak solar hours.
