Delhi’s electricity bill cannot be reduced unless reforms such as de-licensing of the distributors, breaking the monopoly of a few discoms is undertaken In its order dated June 22, 2023, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has allowed the power distribution companies (discoms) in the national Capital viz. BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to charge 9.42 per cent, 6.39 per cent and 2 per cent respectively in PPAC (Power Purchase Agreement Cost) on top of the prevailing rates of 22.18 per cent, 20.69 per cent and 28 per cent. Earlier on June 7, 2023, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited or TPDDL (earlier NDPL) was allowed an additional PPAC of...
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Category: Power
Mess in Delhi’s power distribution business
The problem can be eradicated only if the State Government liberates the three discoms from its controls and gives them the much-needed freedom In 2018, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) issued an order requiring the Delhi Government to give subsidies to its preferred consumers, primarily households, ‘directly’ by crediting it to their bank account using the direct benefit transfer (DBT) mechanism instead of routing it through the three power distribution companies (discoms) namely BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), discom for South & West Delhi; BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) — discom for Central & East Delhi; and North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) — discom for North Delhi which is the existing practice. The order was never implemented and is...
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Regulatory assets are elephant in the room
Regulatory assets are created when state electricity regulatory commissions accept that the tariffs don’t cover discoms’ purchase cost but don’t raise rates The Power Ministry has taken two decisions which have a bearing on viability of the beleaguered power distribution companies (discoms). It has (i) warned state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) against creating a pile of ‘regulatory assets’; and (ii) proposed a pool of efficient thermal power units more than 25 years old to act as a balancing source for the increasing share of renewable energy in the electricity grid. Mostly owned and controlled by state governments, discoms purchase power from public sector undertakings (PSUs) such as the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and independent power producers (IPPs) under long-term...
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Unyielding Opposition derails power reforms
Power reforms have taken the backseat and promises of reforms and competition have been given up by the Centre The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 proposing amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003, with the stated objective of transforming the power sector, was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 8, 2022. Facing stiff resistance from the opposition parties, it had to be referred to a Standing Committee. The Opposition parties especially those ruling the State governments opposed the amendments on two major grounds: (i) these would result in over-centralization of the power distribution (Under the Constitution, distribution is a State subject even as generation and transmission (G&T) are under the purview of the Union Government]; (ii) these curtail powers of the States...
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Electricity Bill: Where is the spark?
After dilution of its key provisions, the Electricity Bill, 2021, falls short of reform objectives In the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill or EAB, 2021, proposing amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003 introduced in February last year, the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government intended to bring about two transformative reforms — de-licensing of the electricity distribution business and direct benefit transfer (DBT) of subsidy. Delicensing of the distribution business aims to bring in competition, and give the consumer power to choose suppliers (or “open access”). Even as the Union ministry of power prepares to table a Bill in the upcoming Monsoon session (2022) of Parliament, both the provisions have been dropped. Under the extant arrangements, an overwhelming share of power generated by public...
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Power subsidy: Arvind Kejriwal’s volte-face
To promote competition, private firms should be allowed in the distribution business Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi, has come up with a proposition: ‘From October 1, 2022, electricity subsidy will be given only to those households who ask for it’. This is bizzare. If the head of a state takes an in-principle decision to give subsidy to anyone who wanted it, as a natural response, almost everyone will say ‘Yes’. But, over 75% of the households are already enjoying a subsidy. So, why ask them? There is something more than what meets the eye. At present, households (HHs) consuming up to 200 units per month are fully exempt from paying any charges. Their number is around three million. For...
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Indian power sector is pushed to the brink
Among other things, free discoms from State control, allow them to set tariff for all consumers and permit private firms into the distribution business Faced with an acute power crisis caused amongst others by sudden spurt in power demand in this season, the Modi Government has fired all cylinders to tackle the most crucial of all bottlenecks in the way, namely coal which accounts for nearly 52 percent of total power generation capacity in the country. During April/May2022, the Union Power Ministry – using powers vested in the Government under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 – issued directions to (i) all imported coal-based plants (ICB) to operate and generate power to their full capacity and (ii) all generation...
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Power sector pushed to the brink
Faced with an acute power crisis caused amongst others by sudden spurt in power demand in this season, Modi – government has fired all cylinders to tackle the most crucial of all bottlenecks in the way, namely coal which accounts for nearly 52 percent of total power generation capacity in the country. During April/May 2022, the Union Power Ministry – using powers vested in the government under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 – issued directions to (i) all imported coal-based plants (ICB) to operate and generate power to their full capacity and (ii) all generation companies (gencos) based on domestic coal to import at least 10 percent of their fuel requirements (there is a move to further raise...
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Power subsidy – Kejriwal’s volte face
Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi has come up with a proposition i.e. ‘from October 1, 2022, electricity subsidy will be given only to those households who ask for it’. This is bizarre. If, the head of a State takes an in-principle decision to give subsidy to anyone who wants it, as a natural response, almost every one will say ‘Yes’. But, over 75 percent of the households (HHs) are already getting subsidy. So, why ask them? There is something more than what meets the eye. At present, HHs consuming up to 200 units per month are fully exempt from paying any charges. Their number is around 3 million. For HHs consuming between 201 – 400 units per month, the State...
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The tale behind putting off key power reforms
DBT and de-licensing of electricity distribution hold the key to extricate the sector from morass and make power available to consumers at affordable rates In the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, there were four provisions— direct benefit transfer (DBT), de-licensing of the electricity distribution business, creation of the Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA) for adjudication of contract disputes, and a single choice committee for appointment of chairman and members of state and central tariff regulators. Reportedly, the Central Government has dropped all four. While the third and fourth proposals are procedure-oriented aimed at ensuring effective enforcement of contracts, the first two are revolutionary reforms. If implemented in letter and spirit, they have the potential to drastically improve the Indian power...
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