Power play

The sector needs urgent pricing reforms

The government is making yet another attempt to improve the state of the power sector and has come up with a new draft National Electricity Policy with objectives such as promoting clean energy, developing an efficient market for electricity distribution, and revitalising distribution companies. The Electricity Act allows the Union government to review and revise the electricity policy from time to time. India has made significant progress in recent years in terms of capacity addition with the increasing role of renewables. But the contribution of coal is likely to remain significant in the coming years. As the draft notes, coal-based