Page 3 - Discoms

Despite decades of power reforms, discoms still an area of darkness

The emphasis for these discoms is to only ensure power supply reaches to the farthest corner of their grid. Quoting Power Finance Corporation data, Barnwal notes

Genus, GIC affiliate to set up platform to fund smart metering projects

The companies have committed to an initial pipeline with a capital outlay of $2 billion

DISCOM conducts maintenance of electrical lines to prevent accidents

As a part of a pre-monsoon safety drive, the DISCOM is conducting inspections and maintenance of electrical equipment and lines installed in public areas to minimise the risk of electricity-related incidents here, an official statement said. The drive aimed to ensure the safety of DISCOM consumers was carried out in view of the two deaths due to electrocution in Delhi within a span of 48 hours. As a part of the ongoing preventive maintenance activity, the DISCOM is conducting tree trimming exercises in the vicinity of electrical installations, poles, and overhead lines to prevent leakage current and power interruption, it said. According to the statement, DISCOM has recently conducted leakage testing of 9,154 poles, 300 PWD/MCD poles, 66 ATMs, and 81 streetlight poles installed in MCD and DDA parks, and the same drive shall be continued. Due attention is being given to ensuring the healthiness of the earthing of electrical installations. "The DISCOM has also carried out safety aud

Govt issues guidelines for advance procurement of resources by discoms

The government on Wednesday issued guidelines for advance procurement of resources by discoms to meet the electricity demand in a cost-effective manner. The guidelines, issued by the Union Ministry of Power, have been framed under rule 16 of Electricity (Amendment) Rules 2022, which were notified on December 29, 2022. The "Guidelines for Resource Adequacy Planning Framework for India" has been issued in consultation with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the power ministry said in a statement. "The guidelines will ensure that sufficient electricity is made available to power the country's growth, by putting in place a framework for advance procurement of resources by discoms to meet the electricity demand in a cost-effective manner. "They provide for an institutional mechanism for resource adequacy ranging from the national level to discom level such that the availability of resources to meet the demand is ensured at each level," it said. As per the guidelines, the new ...

Delhi discoms approaches court over DERC-issued regulations: Official

Delhi discoms have approached the court against Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission over its 'Business Plan Regulations', an official said on Sunday. The discoms challenged the regulations issued by the power regulator in the High Court earlier this month, they said. The matter is sub judice so nothing can be said officially said a top DERC official seeking anonymity. The Business Plan Regulations when issued had invited the discoms to give their objections and suggestions but it is "unfortunate" that instead of approaching the DERC they took the matter to the court, he said. "The discoms are pushing self interest as public interest. In fact, they are opposing the business plan regulations because it plugged all the loopholes they used to approach courts and get the annual tariff influenced to their benefit," he added. "Many aspects of the Business Plans Regulations are in contravention of law and it has been challenged on various grounds, including violation of the principles

Discoms' dues down by 3rd soon after enforcing Late Payment Surcharge Rule

The total outstanding dues of electricity distribution utilities (discoms) has reduced by a third to around Rs 93,000 crore in May, in less than year of implementing the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) Rules in June 2022. The burgeoning dues of discoms toward power generation (gencos) mainly and transmission (trancos) firms have been affecting the entire value chain of the sector till last year. According to industry data, in June last year, discoms' dues were at Rs 1.39 lakh crore at the time of the launch of the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme. The total outstanding dues now stand at around Rs 93,000 crore as per the portal PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators). The PRAAPTI portal was launched in May 2018, to bring transparency in power purchase transactions between generators and discoms. Experts believe the strict implementation of the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) Rules can make the power sector m

SC directions to benefit electricity consumers

The strictures passed by the highest court for preventing needless litigation should end up making electricity more affordable

Discoms to submit report on electricity subsidy to Centre every quarter

The draft rules suggest penalties to be levied on discoms for faulty subsidy accounting, raising erroneous subsidy bills

Rule changes that will make discoms solvent, won't raise political heat

Power ministry will allow distribution companies to raise tariffs without waiting for regulators' approval

Delhi govt orders audit of power subsidy released to discoms in 6 yrs

The Delhi government on Tuesday issued a direction to power regulator DERC to conduct a special audit of discoms over power subsidy released to them from 2016 to 2022. An order issued by Special Secretary (Power) Ravi Dhawan stated that in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 108 of the Electricity Act 2003, the Lt Governor has given a direction to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) for conducting the special audit through Comptroller and Auditor General empanelled auditors. The special audit of the discoms with respect to the power subsidy released to them will cover the period 2016-17 to 2021-22, stated the order. The audit will ensure that the subsidies reach the targeted beneficiaries in the most transparent and efficient way, it said.

Discoms' losses shrink but debt remains high and liquidity crunch widens

Latest PFC report on Discoms' Health in 2021-22 shows progress on AT&C and payment disbursals

UP govt cancels smart meter tenders of Adani, GMR group companies

Meanwhile, Purvanchal has floated fresh tenders after dividing the districts under its jurisdiction into three clusters instead of just one

Power challenge: Summer comes at a price for discoms as energy bills soar

Increase in cost has pushed states to seek tariff hike in the range of 15-30%

Slow RoW permissions from discoms dragging 5G rollout: telecom infra firms

The Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) has also flagged only three major states aligning state policies with central right-of-way guidelines

Uttar Pradesh discoms target Rs 92,000 crore of revenues in FY24

Discoms had posted a deficit of about Rs 16,000 crore in FY21, while the consolidated accumulated losses were to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore

Discoms' outstanding dues to gencos nearly halved to Rs 62,681 cr in Jan

Total outstanding dues owed by electricity distribution companies (discoms) to power producers almost halved to Rs 62,681.68 crore in January, compared to Rs 1,21,030 crore in same month in 2022. Experts said this substantial reduction in the discoms' total outstanding is mainly due to various steps taken by the government, like implementation of late payment surcharge rules and providing facility of equated monthly installments (EMIs) to utilities. According to the portal PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators), the total outstanding dues of discoms stood at Rs 62,681.68 crore in January, 2023, which included Rs 25,526.42 crore overdue amount, that was not cleared even after 45 days of grace period offered by generators. In January 2022, the total outstanding dues of discoms stood at Rs 1,21,030 crore, which included the total overdue amount of Rs 1,01,357 crore. Power producers give 45 days to discoms t

Power demand to fall in H2, gencos' receivables to go up: Fitch Ratings

The LPS Rules regulate access to power in case of non-payment of dues by discoms to gencos

Outstanding dues of discoms reduced by Rs 29,857 crore: Power minister

Power distribution utilities or discoms' total outstanding dues reduced by Rs 29,857 crore to Rs 1,08,092 crore, which were Rs 1,37,949 crore on June 3, 2022, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. One of the key indicators of financial distress of discoms is mounting power purchase dues towards the generation companies (gencos). With the implementation of Electricity (LPS and Related Matters) Rules, 2022, a remarkable improvement has been seen in recovery of outstanding dues, power minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The minister informed the House that the total outstanding dues of the states, which were at Rs 1,37,949 crore as on June 3, 2022, have been reduced by Rs 29,857 crore to Rs 1,08,092 crore, with timely payment of just five monthly instalments. Distribution companies are also paying their current dues in time to avoid regulations under the rule and have paid almost Rs 1,68,000 crore of current dues in last five months, he stated. Based o

It's challenge to meet tariffs for wind power in India: Engie MD

Discoms not looking at signing agreement for procuring power at such high tariffs, says senior executive of French utility's unit

Discoms' aggregate technical & commercial losses down to 17% in FY22

Aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of power distribution utilities declined to 17 per cent in 2021-22 from 22 per cent in the previous year. Reduction in AT&C losses improves finances of utilities (discoms), enabling them to better maintain the system and buy power as per requirement and benefit the consumers, a power ministry statement said. The AT&C loss and ACS-ARR (Average Cost of Supply-Average Realizable Revenue) gap are key indicators of discoms' performance. Ministry of Power has taken a number of measures to improve the performance of utilities, the statement said. Preliminary analysis of data for 2021-22 of 56 discoms contributing to more than 96 per cent of input energy, indicates that AT&C losses have declined significantly to 17 per cent in FY2022 from 22 per cent in FY2021, it stated. The reduction in AT&C losses has resulted in narrowing the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Realizable Revenue (ARR). The ACS-ARR Gap ..