Enough capacity to make up for hydro power shortfall: Goyal

India has enough thermal and gas based power generation capacities to make up for shortage due to lower hydro power output in view of water scarcity in the country, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said today.
"India has enough capability to make up for shortfall due to lower hydro power generation, by thermal and gas based plants," Goyal said after launching DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) e-Bidding & e-Reverse Auction portal for procurement of short term power by DISCOMs.
"It is obvious that due to scarcity of water in the country, hydro power generation has come down particularly in states including Karnataka. Power sector and states are monitoring the situation. If states want power then they would get it provided transmission facility is in place," he said.

About the portal, Goyal said: "In power exchanges, trading of electricity is done for medium term and long term. But trading for short term and same day trading is not there. Here on this portal you can do that."
The short term procurement on the portal could be for a period of more than one day up to one year. Currently out of total generation of around 91671.33 million units about 10 per cent (9215.24MUs) is transacted through short term bilateral agreements and through power exchanges etc.
The guidelines for short term procurement of power have already been notified by Power Ministry and effective from April 1, 2016, making it mandatory for all the Procurers to procure short term power by using this e-Bidding portal.

Power Procurement from Power Exchange shall be excluded from the scope of these guidelines. This would introduce uniformity and transparency in power procurement by the DISCOMs and at the same time promote competition in electricity sector.

Power Ministry said in statement that the scope of this portal shall be further expanded soon to cover medium term and long term procurement of power.
This e-Reverse auction process for competitive procurement is expected to result in overall reduction of cost of procurement of power thereby significantly benefiting the ultimate consumers.
The minister also asked states to provide all data regarding their sale and purchase of power on the portal within four weeks to encourage transparency and also urged the states particularly Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to formally join UDAY scheme meant for revival discoms.

The minister also said that if need be then he can talk to Chief Ministers of the states.
Earlier during the Review, Planning and Monitoring meeting of state power secretaries, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh inked agreements to ensure for all by 2019.
The minister also informed that PTC India is developing an app for trading of power on mobile phone which would be launched within four weeks time.