Das Soumya Deep, Srikanth R
Energy and Environment Program, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India.
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
Energy Policy. 2020 Dec;147:111882. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111882. Epub 2020 Oct 21.
Energy is a key component for economic growth as well as for human development. India is the third-ranking electricity generator in the world but ranks 106th in terms of per capita consumption. Specifically, the distribution of power is the most important link in the value chain of the power sector since it is the cash register for the entire sector. In India, electricity is a concurrent subject shared between the Central and State Governments. While the generation of power has been deregulated since 2003, the supply of power to the consumers is generally carried out by Government-owned power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). In this paper, the authors analyze the financial distress of DISCOMs in India, and explain how the supply-demand mismatch due to over-ambitious demand projections, the fixed and energy charges of thermal power plants, and the excess procurement of "must-run" renewable sources together contribute to the high cost of power procurement that drives the financial stress faced by DISCOMs. The authors support their assertion with a study of nine DISCOMs supplying electricity to 155 million people in three States and propose policy recommendations for a turnaround of such DISCOMs which can be rolled out with suitable modifications across India.
能源是经济增长以及人类发展的关键要素。印度是世界第三大电力生产国，但人均电力消费量却排在第106位。具体而言，电力分配是电力部门价值链中最重要的环节，因为它是整个部门的收银机。在印度，电力是中央政府和邦政府共同管理的事务。自2003年以来，电力生产已实现放松管制，但向消费者供电通常由政府所有的配电公司（DISCOMs）进行。在本文中，作者分析了印度配电公司的财务困境，并解释了由于过于乐观的需求预测、热电厂的固定费用和能源费用以及“必须运行”的可再生能源的过度采购导致的供需不匹配，如何共同导致了高昂的电力采购成本，进而给配电公司带来财务压力。作者通过对为三个邦的1.55亿人供电的九家配电公司进行研究来支持他们的观点，并提出了扭转此类配电公司局面的政策建议，这些建议可在印度各地进行适当修改后推广实施。
