Latest news with #DISCOMs
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) demands refund of ‘excess power charges' of ₹2,787 crore collected in Andhra Pradesh
CPI(M) State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao wrote a letter to Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, demanding immediate clarification on the Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA) charges and a refund of the excess amount collected from consumers during the 2024–25 financial year. According to the letter dated Wednesday, the DISCOMs in the State had been levying an additional ₹0.40 per unit every month under the guise of FPPCA charges and this has resulted in an excess collection of ₹2,787.19 crore from the consumers—a figure publicly available on the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) website under the summary tables, he said. He said that the SPDCL and CPDCL have sought permission from the APERC to recover an additional ₹842.68 crore, claiming it as part of their true-up charges, despite already collecting the significant excess. 'Even in this month's power bills, ₹0.40 per unit has been charged under FPPCA,' Mr. Srinivasa Rao pointed out. The CPI(M) leader criticised the DISCOMs for issuing press releases claiming that there had been no power tariff hikes this year, calling such statements 'misleading and deceptive'. 'Ensure the government issues a direct clarification on power charges. Refund the excess amount collected from consumers without delay. Stop the collection of ₹0.40 per unit adjustment charges immediately,' he said. 'Calculated fraud' Meanwhile, CPI(M) State Secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao criticised the government during a public hearing held by the Electricity Regulatory Commission from Kurnool on Wednesday. Participating in the programme in virtual mode from Vijayawada, he condemned what he called 'manipulation of electricity tariffs'. 'The true-up and fuel adjustment charges are calculated move to fraud the power consumers,' he alleged. Highlighting staggering financial losses of over ₹30,000 crore due to administrative failures and corruption in the power sector, he questioned why no investigation had been initiated even after a year. He demanded a judicial inquiry into all 'such scandals'. Mr. Babu Rao urged the Electricity Regulatory Commission to stop 'acting as a rubber stamp' and to stand by the consumers.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Energy police stations will be opened in six districts of Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: If things go well, energy police stations will be opened in six districts of Madhya Pradesh. The talk about opening energy police stations has been going on for more than a decade. Now, the energy department has sent a proposal in this regard to the govt. The proposal was also put forth before the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on July 2, when the CM reviewed the works of the energy department. Sources said that an energy police structure will be established in the state. As per the proposal, in the first phase, one special electricity police station will be set up in each of the six major cities, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Rewa, and Ujjain. In the coming years, these police stations will be established at all district headquarters. These police stations will provide security to inspection teams during checking campaigns, conduct surprise inspections, prepare case diaries, file FIRs against accused under the Electricity Act, and monitor court proceedings to ensure the protection of DISCOM property and recovery of dues under the Recovery of Dues Act. "The proposal is yet to get a final nod from the govt. It is aimed at putting a check on power theft. Personnel from the home department will be deployed," Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited, Avinash Lawaniya told TOI. Sources said that distribution losses in the state are far higher than the losses reported in other states like Gujarat. Distribution loss means the energy which is purchased and supplied but could not be billed by the DISCOM. Barring one West DISCOM, the energy losses reported by the two other DISCOMs, central and east, are far above the normative or allowable losses decided by the regulator, said sources. All these moves, including the installation of smart meters, are aimed at reducing the losses, thus reducing the expenses of the DISCOMs, added sources.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
All you need to know about India Energy Stack - India's UPI moment for power sector
New Delhi: India's ambition to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, coupled with its net-zero commitment by 2070, will dramatically increase its per capita energy consumption. The complexity of managing a grid with a rising share of renewable generation — including rooftop solar and distributed energy — necessitates a fundamental shift in how data, systems, and decision-making are managed across the power sector. Current systems remain fragmented. Distribution companies ( DISCOMs ), transmission entities (TRANSCOs), and generation companies (GENCOs) operate in digital silos, leading to inefficiencies and limiting innovation. The India Energy Stack (IES) is proposed as a national Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to address this. What are the key challenges in India's current power sector? The sector faces four structural digital issues: lack of a unique identifier for consumers and assets, high dependency on proprietary systems, limited interoperability across utilities, and asymmetry in data availability. Despite the presence of smart meters and SCADA systems, there is no unified architecture to bring all stakeholders together on a real-time, secure, and standardised digital platform. What is the India Energy Stack (IES)? Envisioned by the Ministry of Power with REC as nodal agency and FSR Global as knowledge partner, IES is a modular, standardised, and secure DPI for the power sector. It draws inspiration from Aadhaar and UPI in the financial sector and aims to provide digital IDs for energy consumers and assets, promote interoperability via open APIs, standardise data formats, and enable new services like peer-to-peer energy trading, virtual power plants, and green tariffs. What does the IES architecture look like? IES is structured in three layers: 1. Core infrastructure foundation – Defines uniform data protocols and open registries. 2. Core services – Enables interoperability and consent-based data access across utilities. 3. Applications and innovation platform – Supports solutions such as dynamic pricing, real-time grid analytics, demand response, and smart tariffs. A key application layer is the Utility Intelligence Platform (UIP) which builds on IES and helps integrate operational systems, provides analytics, and supports innovation using shared data. How does IES benefit stakeholders like DISCOMs, consumers, and startups? DISCOMs get real-time grid visibility and tools to optimise distributed generation. Consumers gain access to dynamic pricing, better grievance redressal, and portability across DISCOMs. Startups and innovators get a standardised sandbox environment with open APIs, enabling innovation without needing to build from scratch for each utility. What are the next steps in implementation? A 12-month Proof of Concept (PoC) is planned by the Ministry of Power. It will be tested across pilot utilities in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, focusing on both market-facing and utility-facing applications. The outcome will help develop a national blueprint for full-scale deployment. A parallel capacity-building programme will prepare the workforce to implement and operate IES. How does it relate to past DPIs like Aadhaar and UPI? Aadhaar provided unique identity, and UPI enabled interoperable payments. Similarly, IES aims to provide unique digital energy IDs and facilitate verifiable energy transactions. Just as Aadhaar and UPI unlocked new services in banking and government transfers, IES is expected to do the same for energy fintech and decentralised energy markets . What is the long-term vision? The India Energy Stack, once rolled out, is expected to improve transparency, boost policy formulation through real-time data, and enhance energy access and reliability. It promotes a federated, decentralised system that builds on existing digital assets, avoids duplication, and unlocks the full value of machine-to-machine data exchange.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Tata Power outlines green push, aims to become clean energy major
Tata Power Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Thursday outlined the company's strategy to accelerate its transition into a clean, consumer-centric energy major, highlighting record financial performance in FY25. Speaking at the company's 106th Annual General Meeting, Chandrasekaran said Tata Power is 'ideally positioned' to lead India's energy transition, with a generation portfolio that has crossed 25 GW—65 per cent of which comes from clean and green sources. The company is now focusing on hybrid renewable solutions and round-the-clock green energy by integrating solar, wind, hydro, and storage. Tata Power's 4.3 GW solar manufacturing facility in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, is now fully operational. It has also partnered with Bhutan's Druk Green Power to develop 5 GW of cross-border renewable and hydropower projects. Chandrasekaran said the company has evolved into a consumer-facing brand with rooftop solar and EV charging solutions. Tata Power is India's leading rooftop solar provider and has one of the country's largest EV charging networks. Its "Ghar Ghar Solar" campaign aligns with the government's Surya Ghar Yojana, he said. Tata Power won transmission projects worth ₹4,800 crore, taking its network to over 7,000 circuit kilometres. Its DISCOMs now serve 12.8 million customers across seven regions including Delhi, Mumbai, and Odisha, he said. Looking ahead, Chandrasekaran said the company is well-placed to participate in India's clean energy future, including the potential opening of the nuclear power sector to private firms. Chandrasekaran also paid tribute to the victims of the AI-171 air tragedy and the late Ratan Tata, calling him 'a mentor and visionary whose values will always guide the group.'
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
DVC inks long-term pact to supply 300 MW power to Karnataka DISCOMs
Kolkata: Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on Monday signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to supply 300 MW of round-the-clock thermal power to Karnataka's five electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), an official said. The power will be sourced from DVC's upcoming Koderma Thermal Power Station Phase-II (2x800 MW), currently under development. The agreement is aimed at meeting Karnataka's growing energy demand with reliable and affordable thermal power. The pact was signed at the headquarters of Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) and marks an expansion of DVC's existing supply of 450 MW to the southern state. The PPA was signed between DVC-PCKL and the five DISCOMs. "This agreement highlights DVC's capability to deliver dependable power beyond its core region and reinforces our commitment to sustainable energy solutions across India," said DVC Member (Finance), Arup Sarkar. PCKL Managing Director Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar said the agreement would ensure consistent power supply at competitive rates. With this PPA, DVC has completed agreements for all three of its upcoming projects - Koderma Phase-II, Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) Phase-II, and DVC's other expansion projects - totalling 3,720 MW of new generation capacity. PTI
