District level Committees for Distribution Reforms Monitoring and District lvel Generation Resources Planning
In order to provide for an institutional arrangement at the district level to oversee work relating to formulation and implementation of projects aimed at strengthening the subtransmission and distribution system and for promoting power generation from renewable energy sources, district level commitees are proposed to be constituted.
The district-level committees would be headed by the District Collector/Deputy Commissioner. The committee could include the following:
- Members of Parliament representing the District;
- Members of the Legislative Assembly/Legislative Council to be nominated by the State Government;
- Chairman, Zilla Parishad; and
- A few non-oficial Prominent Persons to be
nominated by the State Government.
The Superintending Engineer of the State Electricity Board/State Power Utility responsible for distribution in the district could be made the Convener of the Committee.
The Committee would be entrusted with the following functions:
- To review steps taken to formulate and implement projects aimed at improving/upgrading the subtransmission and distribution system;
- To oversee the implementation of the metering programme and the introduction of Energy Accounting System;
- To review the implementation of energy conservation measures including Demand Side Management (DSM);
- To promote local entrepreneurs in setting up power generation projects based on Biomass, Wind, Solar and Small Hydro;
- To encourage involvement of local bodies and NGOs/ Cooperatives in the management of generation and distribution;
- To explore the possibility of supplying decentralised grid energy to remote villages which cannot be connected to the grid;
- To organise funding of projects from funds
provided by the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of
Non-conventional Energy Sources, MPs’ Local Area Development Fund,
RIDF, Rural Electrification Corporation and agencies such as
IREAD.
100% metering and MIS for reduction of T & D losses
Huge Transmission &
Distribution (T & D) losses are a major drain on the revenue
stream affecting the very survival of the SEBs. Although reported
total energy losses in T & D are 24 per cent on an all India
average basis, a closer examination reveals that actual losses
including theft and wrong classification could be in the range of
40-45 per cent. Under reporting of losses is revealed from the
following table:
| State |
Reported T & D losses (%) |
| |
Before reform |
After reform |
| Orissa |
23 |
51 |
| Andhrs pradesh |
25 |
45 |
| Haryana |
32 |
47 |
| Rajasthan |
26 |
43 |
The
T & D losses are pegged at around 10 per cent in bettermanaged power systems in the developed countries. In order to reduce the T & D losses, the following measures have been initiated.
- Static meters on all 11 KV out-going feeders and HT consumers have been installed in most of the States. These meters will record active energy, power factor and load information for 45 days at a time. The data recorded in the static meters can be down loaded to a computer network and software packages will be effectively utilised to process the data for meaningful management of the distribution system.
- Consequently, it shold now be possible to accurately account for the energy received in each 11 KV substation and 11 kV out-going feeders; energy billed and T & D losses at the various stages of transformation. It is expected that by October 2001, the metering at 11 kV ooutgong feeder level will be accomplished in all the states.
- In the next phase of the programme, meters will be installed in all the distribution transformers and, thereafter, in the premises of the consumers. With the installation of meters at all the transformation stages and in the premises of consumers, it will be possible to operationalise the concept of “cost and profit centre.” The implementation of energy accounting system, with billing unit at sub-division level as the nodal point, the problem of commercial losses can be solved. This will help fix proper responsibility at the sub-divisional, divisional, circle and zonal levels.
- Other measures required will include installaton of capacitors at all levels; reconfiguration of feeder lines & distribution transformers in such a way as to reduce the length of LT lines (which are characterised by large technical and commercial losses) and make the system less LT oriented, installation of smaller size energy efficient distribution transformers so that each transformer supplies power to 10 to 15 households only; reconductioring of over loaded sections; development of digital mapping of the entire distribution system; and load flow studies so that investments could be undertaken for long-term strengthening of the distribution system.
- Along with 100 per cent metering in the
districts, it is necessary to enforce energy accounting and
auditing. In this regard an effective Management Information
System (MIS) will be put in place to ensure effective flow of
information to facilitate quick decision-making and to improve the
operation and management of the distribution system.
With the adoption of above steps, it will be possible to develop the data base essential for energy accounting and also to undertake system study and promote measures aimed at improving load management.