Power Distribution

India's power consumption logged a double-digit year-on-year growth of nearly 13 per cent to 126.16 billion units in January 2023, according to government data. The robust growth of power consumption indicates sustained momentum of economic activities in January. Experts earlier said the power consumption and demand would increase in January due to the use of heating appliances, especially in the northern parts of the country, and a further improvement in economic activities. In January 2022, power consumption stood at 111.80 billion units (BU), higher than the 109.76 BU in the same month of 2021, the data showed. Electricity consumption in January 2020 stood at 105.15 BU. The peak power demand met, which is the highest supply in a day, rose to 210.61 gigawatt (GW) in January 2023. The peak power supply stood at 192.18 GW in January 2022 and 189.39 GW in January 2021. The peak power demand met was 170.97 GW in the pre-pandemic January 2020.

Power distribution utilities or discoms' total outstanding dues reduced by Rs 29,857 crore to Rs 1,08,092 crore, which were Rs 1,37,949 crore on June 3, 2022, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. One of the key indicators of financial distress of discoms is mounting power purchase dues towards the generation companies (gencos). With the implementation of Electricity (LPS and Related Matters) Rules, 2022, a remarkable improvement has been seen in recovery of outstanding dues, power minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The minister informed the House that the total outstanding dues of the states, which were at Rs 1,37,949 crore as on June 3, 2022, have been reduced by Rs 29,857 crore to Rs 1,08,092 crore, with timely payment of just five monthly instalments. Distribution companies are also paying their current dues in time to avoid regulations under the rule and have paid almost Rs 1,68,000 crore of current dues in last five months, he stated. Based o

The government will take all possible measures to meet the 230 gigawatt (GW) single-day peak demand expected in April 2023, according to Power Secretary Alok Kumar. On Wednesday, Power Minister R K Singh presided over a meeting to review the preparation to meet the high electricity demand expected in April next year. The top power ministry official, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) Ghanshyam Prasad besides other government officers were part of the meeting. On the outcome of the meeting, the secretary told PTI there are two parameters on which the government will work. Firstly, it will ensure there should be enough power generation capacity, and for that companies have been directed to carry out maintenance work of their plants so there is no issue at that time, he said. According to Kumar, the demand in April next year could be as high as 230 GW. As per official figures, the maximum all-India power demand met at 2:51 pm on April 26, 2022 was 201.066 GW. Th

Aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of power distribution utilities declined to 17 per cent in 2021-22 from 22 per cent in the previous year. Reduction in AT&C losses improves finances of utilities (discoms), enabling them to better maintain the system and buy power as per requirement and benefit the consumers, a power ministry statement said. The AT&C loss and ACS-ARR (Average Cost of Supply-Average Realizable Revenue) gap are key indicators of discoms' performance. Ministry of Power has taken a number of measures to improve the performance of utilities, the statement said. Preliminary analysis of data for 2021-22 of 56 discoms contributing to more than 96 per cent of input energy, indicates that AT&C losses have declined significantly to 17 per cent in FY2022 from 22 per cent in FY2021, it stated. The reduction in AT&C losses has resulted in narrowing the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Realizable Revenue (ARR). The ACS-ARR Gap ..

But cumulative dues remain at a high of Rs 1.13 trillion

An Adani Group company has sought licence for expanding its power distribution business into more areas of Mumbai, including the country's largest container port JNPT. In an advertisement published in several newspapers in the city on Saturday, Adani Electricity Navi Mumbai (AENM) said it has approached the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for a distribution licence in some pockets of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region along with its listed parent Adani Transmission. The company is aiming to get licence to distribute power in areas exclusively served by the state-owned Mahadiscom in Mumbai's suburbs Mulund and Bhandup, and also Thane district, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Kharghar, Taloja and Uran. The group, whose assets include the Adani Ports business, is also vying to distribute power to the country's largest container port JNPT located near Navi Mumbai. The application is the first such move by any player since the Electricity Act was amended to make it more open. The

Pool to address grid balancing concern as states relinquish costly thermal power to procure more RE

Lack of timely payment, especially from the other government departments in the state, is one major reason crimping the payment ability of discoms

The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company will be importing 22 lakh metric tonnes of coal during the current financial year. Of this 7.2 lakh MT of coal will be imported in February 2023

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A top European Union official unveiled on Wednesday a plan to cap the revenues of electricity producing companies that are making extraordinary profits due to the war in Ukraine and climate change, saying the proposal could raise USD 140 billion to help people hit by spiralling energy prices. These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. In our social market economy, profits are OK, they are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues and profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who need it the most, she said. Our proposal will raise more than 140 billion euros (USD 140 billion) for member states to cushion the blow directly, von der Leyen said in a State of the European Union address to the EU assembly. With winter approaching, the 27 E

Adani Transmission Ltd on Tuesday said it has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Adani Electricity Jewar Ltd, to carry on business of transmission, distribution and supply of power and other related infrastructure services. "Company has incorporated its WOS (wholly owned subsidiary) in the name of Adani Electricity Jewar Ltd (AEJL) on 12th September, 2022 with an initial authorised and paid up capital of Rs 1,00,000 each to, inter alia, carry on the business of transmission, distribution and supply of power and other infrastructure services relating thereto," a BSE filing said. AEJL will commence its business operations in due course, it stated. * * * * * Axio annualised disbursals at Rs 5,000 cr * Digital finance company axio on Tuesday said it has reached annualised disburals of Rs 5000 crore, up from Rs 1700 crore in 2021. axio (formerly Capital Float) said it has doubled its customer base in the last twelve months to nearly 5.5 million credit customers. The company is a

Reacts to RInfra statement of last week, which said it has filed a claim of Rs 13,400 crore; Adani says it has filed counterclaims

What is Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022?

The govt wants to usher in 'much-needed reforms' in the power distribution sector with the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022. But the Bill met with stiff resistance. Here's both sides of the debate

Annual rating reveals absolute cash-adjusted losses increased by 10% in the sector between FY19 and FY21

Key proposals include allowing more utilities to operate within the same circles, mandating regulators to set tariffs based on market costs, and defining payment procedures and deadlines

Business Standard had reported recently that the Centre has dropped the proposal of privatising state-owned power distribution companies (discoms)

State-owned discoms across the country are financially and operationally beleaguered despite four reform schemes in the past 15 years

The amendment pertains to delicensing of power distribution that would have paved the way for any company to supply electricity in an area, after necessary regulatory approval

Floats tender worth Rs 4,000 crore to procure the meters; installation to start by October