Discoms

Free power, subsidised rail transport fail to benefit the poor meaningfully

But the problems remain at the distribution end, where state-owned distribution companies or discoms dominate

NSE lays the ground work for an early launch of electricity futures

NSE to roll out monthly electricity futures contracts after Sebi approval, with future plans to introduce CfDs to offer price certainty for renewable energy firms

Strike against discom privatisation in UP may affect power supply: AIPEF

Electricity supply in the country may get affected on July 9 as over 27 lakh power workers will go on a nationwide strike against the government's decision to privatise two distribution companies (discoms) in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to privatise Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL), which alone cover 42 of 75 districts of the state, Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of All India Power Engineers' Federation (AIPEF), said. Dubey alleged that Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd and some big officials of the government are in collusion with selected private houses. They want to sell discom assets worth lakhs of crores to private houses at throwaway prices, Dubey alleged. He said "the process is on to float the tender inviting bids from interested parties. We are against this, and over 27 power employees across states will hold a one-day strike in July against the privatisation of the two discoms. The strike

Delhi's power demand likely to peak at 9K MW this summer: Discom officials

Higher requirement during the upcoming summer months is likely to push Delhi's peak power demand to 9,000 MW, discom officials said on Tuesday. The city recorded an all-time high peak power demand of 8,656 MW in 2024, they said. A BSES official said several initiatives, including network strengthening and thermo-scanning to identify potential hotspots, among others, were being taken to meet the rise in demand. "More than 2,100 MW of green power will play an important role in ensuring adequate supply during the summer months," he added. Last year, Delhi's peak power demand crossed 8,000 MW for the first time, the discom officials said. It had breached the 7,000 MW-mark for the first time -- peaking at 7,016 MW -- in 2018. Since then, demand rise has registered a consistent growth, they said. The expected peak power demand of 9,000 MW this year is an increase of more than 300 percent over the peak power demand of 2,879 MW in 2002, they added.

Delhi discoms point to Rs 3,000 crore revenue gap, seek fair tariffs

Discoms in Delhi have filed petitions with power regulator DERC for a "cost-reflective" tariff to be announced for this fiscal, citing a combined revenue gap of more than Rs 3,000 crore in 2022-23. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has started the process for determining power tariff for consumers for the 2024-25 fiscal. Electricity rates in Delhi have remained static since 2014. The commission has uploaded the options for the power companies on its website, seeking comments from stakeholders, including consumers, to consider while making a decision on the new rates. The petitions showed that the revenue requirement in 2022-23 was Rs 12,116 crore for BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), Rs 6,141 crore for BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and Rs 9,264 crore for Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL). However, the revenue at the existing tariff was Rs 10,419 crore for BRPL, Rs 5,530 crore for BYPL and Rs 8,410 crore for TPDDL, resulting in a revenue gap of Rs

The power to reform: Tariffs a key issue for revival of gencos, discoms

The impact of the latest, the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, or RDSS, launched in 2022, has been less than optimum

High discom debt, losses hinder prospects of listing state power firms

As discoms pushed all the buttons to meet the record-high demand during FY23, their total debt rose to Rs 70k cr for funding their capex, working capital requirement, and operational losses

States should list gencos and discoms: Power Minister M L Khattar

He said Gujarat and Haryana are considering listing their power utilities

Delhi CM orders audit of Discoms to look into pension surcharge issue

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has ordered a special audit of power companies to look into the pension surcharge issue, an official statement said on Wednesday. To be conducted by auditors approved by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the move aims to ensure greater transparency in the pension process of the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB), it said. The DISCOMs charge a pension surcharge of seven per cent from power consumers in their monthly bills. The surcharge is calculated as a percentage of the amount of fixed and energy cost portion of the bill. Emphasising the government's commitment towards the welfare of pensioners, Atishi stated that the well-being of DVB pensioners was a top priority. The audit is expected to bring accountability and clarity to the funding and distribution of pension benefits, ensuring that pensioners receive the support they deserve. The chief minister has directed the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to conduct a special audit of all ...

Discoms face financial constraints due to payment delays from govt: ICRA

The state-owned power distribution companies are facing financial constraints despite improving their aggregate technical and commercial losses, according to an Icra report. The agency has cited delays in realising payments from state government departments for power supply as one of the reasons for the constrain of discom finances and assigned a negative outlook for the power distribution segment. The all-India aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses for state-owned discoms declined from 23 per cent in FY2021 to 16.5 per cent in FY2022 and further to 15.8 per cent in FY2023 due to infrastructure upgrades and higher subsidy payout. Despite this progress, losses remain particularly high at over 20 per cent for the discoms in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, Icra noted. "The performance of state-owned discoms remains constrained by inadequate tariffs relative to the cost of supply, higher-than-regulator-approved AT&C losses, and a considerable

Govt issues norms for Rs 4,950 cr incentive to Discoms under PM-Surya Ghar

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said the New & Renewable Energy Ministry has issued guidelines to provide Rs 4,950 crore incentive to discoms under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Criteria for incentivising Discoms include achievement of installation of additional grid-connected rooftop solar capacity beyond the baseline level, the New & Renewable Energy Minister said in a post on X. "Rs 4,950 crore incentives to Discoms under @PMSuryaGhar. The guidelines have been issued for effective disbursal of incentives," he said. The scheme guidelines for implementation of incentives to Discoms were notified by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) last week on July 18, an official statement said. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore and will be implemented till FY 2026-27, MNRE said. Under the scheme, Discoms are designated as state implementation agencies (SIAs) responsible for facilitating various measures, including net meter availability, timely ...

Amid heatwave, Delhi's peak power demand reaches record high of 8,647 MW

Persistent heat wave drove the national capital's peak power demand on Tuesday afternoon to 8,647 MW, the highest ever for the city, discom officials said. The previous highest peak power demand of Delhi was 8,302 MW on May 29 this year. Delhi's peak power demand reached 8,000 MW for the first time on May 22, 2024, they said. The extreme heatwave continues to push the city's power demand northwards, soaring to 8,647 MW at 3:22 pm on Tuesday, according to the State Load Dispatch Centre, Delhi. The cooling load due to the increased use of air conditioners and coolers amid the relentless heat wave has led to a record rise in power demand in the national capital. Since May 22, Delhi's peak power demand has crossed 8,000 MW eight times so far, discom officials said. "The power demand can be attributed to weather conditions that led residents to use more air conditioning and cooling appliances, pushing electricity consumption. It is estimated that air conditioning can contribute to 30-50

DERC issues draft regulation for green power obligations on discoms

The DERC has released its draft regulations for renewable purchase obligation (RPO), mandating a 29.91 per cent green energy purchase this year for all stakeholders, including discoms, officials said on Monday. RPOs mandate all electricity distribution licensees to purchase energy from renewable sources. The Draft Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (Renewable Purchase Obligation and Renewable Energy Certificate Framework Implementation) Regulations, 2024 has been issued by the DERC, which is seeking public comments till July 2, they said. Under the draft regulations released by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), all stakeholders including discoms, must comply with specified RPO targets as a percentage of their total annual consumption. The DERC has specified an RPO target of 29.91 per cent for 2024-25 and 30.01 per cent for 2025-26, as per the draft regulation. Non-compliance of the RPO targets will result in a penalty of 10 paise per unit for all obligated .

Delhi power demand all-time high at 8,000 Mw amid intense summer heat

Delhi's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 7,717 MW on Tuesday afternoon amid intense summer heat, Discom officials said. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), Delhi, real-time data, the peak demand of the city broke all previous records. It reached 7,717 MW at 3.33 pm, they said. Delhi's previous all-time high peak power demand was recorded at 7,695 MW on June 29, 2022, officials said. The national capital is reeling under intense heat with a steady temperature rise. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heat wave conditions in many parts of Delhi and severe heatwave conditions in some areas. It has also issued a red alert for the next four days. According to the seven-day forecast, the maximum temperature will be in the range of 44 to 47 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature on Tuesday settled at 30.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal, according to the IMD. The maximum temperature of the day is expected to be around 45 deg

Discoms ramp up power supply during elections, despite demand surge

States like Karnataka, Odisha and Haryana have kept their power tariffs unchanged, while Bihar has cut rates

BSES power discoms launch scheme for replacement of old ACs in Delhi

The BSES power discoms have launched a scheme for consumers in the city to exchange their old air conditioners with energy-efficient ones with discounts of up to 63 per cent, according to a statement. The summer season this year is anticipated to be intense with temperatures already reaching 40 degrees Celsius in Delhi and expected to rise even higher, it said. The statement said cooling load can account for up to 50 per cent of a household's or a discom's annual energy expenses. Switching to a 5-star energy-efficient air conditioner can significantly reduce this cost, it added. The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and the BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) have launched a limited-period 'AC Replacement Scheme' in partnership with leading air conditioner manufacturers. This initiative will help domestic consumers of South, West, East, and Central Delhi to replace their old air conditioners with new and energy-efficient 5-star ACs, including next-generation inverter technology model

AI, power purchase deals to help Delhi meet summer demand of 8,000 MW

The use of latest technologies such as artificial intelligence and long-term power purchase agreements with other states are among the steps taken by discoms to meet the national capital's high power demand this summer, officials said on Monday. With high temperatures projected for the season, Delhi's peak power demand is expected to cross 8,000 MW for the first time, reaching up to 8,200 MW, according to State Load Dispatch Centre data. The officials said the city's previous high was 7,695 MW in 2022 and last year's peak power demand was 7,438 MW. The peak power demand in the areas covered by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited's (BRPL) -- South and West Delhi -- which were 3,250 MW and 3,389 MW in the summers of 2023 and 2022 respectively, are expected to reach around 3,679 MW this summer, a BSES spokesperson said. The other BSES discom BYPL recorded the peaks of 1,670 MW and 1,752 MW during the summers of 2023 and 2022 respectively, in its distribution areas of Central and East Delhi.

Delhi electricity demand to cross 8GW this summer, discoms brace up

Both TPDDL and BSES stated they are fully geared to provide uninterrupted power supply

SC rejects Adani firm's plea for over Rs 1,300 cr as LPS from Raj discom

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea of Adani Power Rajasthan Ltd seeking over Rs 1,300 crore as late payment surcharge from the Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, a Rajasthan government-owned power distribution firm. Imposing Rs 50,000 as cost on Adani Power Rajasthan Ltd (APRL), a bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and PV Sanjay Kumar ruled that filing of a miscellaneous application was not the proper legal recourse to late payment surcharge (LPS) by the Adani firm. Relief of this nature (claiming LPS) cannot be asked in a miscellaneous application which was described in the course of the hearing as an application for clarification, the bench said. The cost of Rs 50,000 imposed on APRL will be deposited with the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee, Justice Bose said while reading out the operative portion of the judgement. The detailed judgement is awaited. The top court, on January 24, had reserved its judgement. The Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL), ...

Statsguru: Discoms show progress in some parameters, but challenges remain

Despite rising electricity demand in the last five years, increases in the emissions from the power sector have slowed down