With the burgeoning growth in
this technological epoch, another right has been added to the growing list of
the rights of men (And women) and that is the right to have electricity. Some
may argue that this is baseless and that electricity is still a privilege – a
comfort and not a right. I may stand corrected, but, the ubiquitous electric
energy run devices tell a different tale. From the farms to the industry, from
the small transistor in a hut to the home theatres of multi million rupee
homes, all devices today run on electricity. Hence, while the right to
education and security against food shortages and hunger are issues at the
cynosure of the government’s attention, the increasing usage of electric energy
is another major concern that has stayed in the offing for long.
India stands pretty tall in the
generation of electricity, coming in third in the list of highest electricity
producing nations. With a share of 4.8% of the global electricity generation,
India has an installed capacity of 249.5 GW. A sizeable share is the installed
renewable energy capacity. However, if you review the world population
statistics, India accounts for 17.5% of the global populace. This is where the energy inequality is laid
bare. While the average European boasts a per capita consumption of 6200kWh,
the figures in India are dismal, barely reaching 288kWh in urban centres and 96kWh
in rural areas (Per capita consumption of electricity is often taken as an
indicator of development in the world today.). Roughly, 75.3% of the population
has access to electricity which means 300 million citizens in the country have
no access to frequent electricity (estimates from 2011) and promptly stay in
the dark. Another shocking estimate figures that about one-third of the country’s
rural population has no electricity. This brings to mind the news from June
2014 in Haryana, where a village was only able to secure an electric supply 67
years after Independence - a state that prides itself on its industrial growth
and development. The situation in other parts of the nation is even worse. Where
electricity is provided, connections are unreliable and outages are common
throughout the country. More often than not, the capital region experiences
shortages of power especially during the summer months.
So, in light of the current
situation, why isn’t the government spending heavily on capacity addition?
Produce more, to feed most – wasn’t that the ideology behind the Green
revolution so that food shortages would become a thing of the past? In theory,
if 900 million people are being fed from the 250 GW installed, then add another
85-90 GW and the problem is solved, isn’t it? We might even end up with a
surplus! But, calculations in the power sector aren’t as straightforward (one
must consider the constraints) and it will be incorrect to say that capacity
addition isn’t a priority. In fact, it is – the 12th Five Year Plan
sets a target of 88,500 MW (this information has been procured from CEA reports)
to be added by 2017 (38 % of which has been achieved) and the total target
including renewables is 1,18,000 MW. So, capacity addition isn’t much of a
problem. Capacity addition during the 11th five year plan was 260%
of the capacity addition during the 10th five year plan. These figures
look promising. As electrical engineering undergraduates, there is a common
rule of thumb that we are taught – 1MW of capacity addition roughly costs 6
crore INR (need to recheck for inflation). In light of this figure, one can’t
blame the government for under-spending in power infrastructure addition. It is
safe to say that infrastructure exists, or is being added at a good rate
(barring some problems) on the generation side.
Following the generating units,
we have the transmission and distribution networks – the lifelines of the
country. The T&D network in India is notorious for heavy losses standing at
23.65% in 2011-12. To put these figures
in perspective, 20% of 250GW is 50 GW! i.e. If net power being generated is 250
GW (which isn’t the case) , 50 GW will be lost in transmission and distribution
lines. These are termed as technical losses. However, technical losses are not
the only ones that result in reduction of power supplied, low metering
efficiency, theft & pilferages account for a huge chunk of the power as
well. Together, the total of these losses is defined as AT & C – Aggregate
Technical and Commercial Loss which was 27% for 2011-12, higher than the
previous year’s value. In absolute figures 27% of 250 GW is 67.5 GW! Here, we
have identified a major issue in the power sector. This has been recognized by
the government institutions and the authority plans to reduce T&D losses to
17% by 2017. Theft of power as mentioned
above is a big problem. Tampering with electricity meters or bypassing them
altogether is common in various communities. In recent times, reports from
villages in the capital show that officials from distribution companies have
been beaten when they have approached such wrongdoers. A Bloomberg report
calculates financial losses amounting to $17 Billion in the annual electricity
revenue. Stealing power has become easier in the absence of a police team to go
on the rounds with the officials to check for faulty meters and connections. While
increasing energy costs and poor security measures are prompting more and more
people to thieve in the urban areas, it is a rampant practice in rural India
where the checks are virtually non-existent. On the technical issue, old
networks and a huge distribution system are to blame, adding levels of losses
with each bifurcation. Addition of renewable energy sources is an additional
problem and they are better suited to supply locally. This is one national issue
which requires a huge upheaval and restructuring of infrastructure.
On to the consumers – with
increasing costs and high income inequality purchasing electricity takes a big
slice out of the monthly budget of the consumers. In the end, suffering and woes
of the consumer are foremost and these are issues that must be addressed.
Reliability of power is a major issue. Long power cuts due to load shedding and
unscheduled interruptions are common even in the wealthiest societies. Due to
this, budgets rise as the consumer has to resort to inverters and diesel
generators. While inverters add pressure on the grid itself, diesel generators
are a concern as they increase the environmental woes. With a significant
population in the lower income section, illegal tapping has become a norm.
Subsidies and several sensitisation campaigns too, have failed to prompt the
consumer to mend his/her ways. Poor reliability has become such a major issue
that talk of power quality has all but been suspended in certain areas and remains
a mere speculation in the reality of the grid condition.
While such big problems persist,
various hurdles are also faced intermittently by the energy sector.
Availability of coal for thermal power plants has been a big headache and the
government has had to step in repeatedly to solve issues of coal shortage.
Various subsidies on import of coal are also provided. Several hydropower
projects face the wrath of the public for submerging large areas and uprooting
communities from their homes and as such have prolonged delays in construction
and commissioning. Following the big black out in 2012, though several measures
have been taken to render the national grid more reliable, a lot of work is
still pending to this effect. From the environmental point of view too, the
situation is not promising. About 800 million consumers continue using traditional
biomass energy sources like fuel wood, agricultural waste and livestock dung for
cooking and other domestic purposes. This leads to indoor air pollution and is a
significant cause of deaths in the country. The oil, natural gas and coal fired
plants are inefficient and produce up to 120% more CO2 per kWH compared to
their EU contemporaries. Ecological destruction is the biggest by-product of
construction of big dams and power plants. Political and social debates have
stifled the growth of nuclear power in India.
With an entire pandora’s box to
contain, the situation in this sector though discouraging shows some spurts of
progress. Introduction of renewable energy was the biggest step taken by the
country in this respect. Rural areas present ideal locations for solar plant setups.
A village in Bihar, Dharnai, recently went all –solar for its electricity
needs. Though initial investments are high, communities can reap the benefits
of solar installation upwards of 25 years. This trend has led to several solar
powered plants all over the country promoting the idea of a distributed grid.
With traditional methods stating a centralized grid to provide power through
long transmission lines to all nooks and crannies of the nation, the
development of the renewables energy sector has led to discussions and debates
on the distributed grid. Wind farms and PV based farms are a good source of
energy locally, no heavy losses have to be faced for long transmission and the
smaller micro grid is highly reliable. Thus the huge interconnection and
network of T&D gives way to smaller self-sustained networks that may/may
not exchange energy with the national grid according to their needs. This
method is highly popular among social organizations working in rural areas and
the MNRE itself. Blackouts like the one in 2012 can be compensated for by local
communities on their own. While availability of energy for PV due to rainy and
cloudy days and Wind farms, due to lack of wind is a constant source of
criticism, such micro-grids have been successful in general. There are several
alternatives to coal and other non-renewable energy sources such as tidal,
ocean thermal etc. Tidal energy is being experimented with currently as India
is blessed with a vast coastline; future projects are viable in this field. On
the consumers end, subsidies are present for installation of PV and solar
thermal solutions at private homes. Smart meters are now being deployed for
reliable metering and billing. Though dynamic pricing is still far, this can be
considered in the future to advocate judicious use of electricity in urban
centres. A lot of distribution companies have been working to change old and
unreliable network equipment with the latest ones. Conscientious work on both
the public and the institutional side is required here. Many rural areas though
still devoid of electricity are seeing benefits under the National Rural
Electrification Scheme (the name is actually in Hindi) to electrify and provide
subsidised power to over one lakh un-electrified villages.
By the year 2020, a large part of
the infrastructure will come to depend on electric energy – both industry and
consumer. India’s power consumption will be double of what it was in 2009 and
the peak power deficit will depend on the policies and plans that need
restructuring. The Indian railway which is already a major consumer is still
adding to the electrified tracks and will present a huge load for the sector. With
several smart cities planned, as stated in the present budget, the demand of
power is likely to shoot in the next six years. Though, projections have been
considered in the capacity addition planning, efficient and dynamic usage is
what is required. Losses need to be curbed to a bare minimum. If AT&C
losses were to remain as high, India will still be losing a lot of energy and
in this sense wasting natural resources. Addition of electric vehicles is still
a minor concern in India as the market for such is very small. Focus should be
on empowering the rural regions with reliable electricity. It is a shame to see
kerosene lamp lit houses after 67 years of Independence. Energy disparities
need to be reduced. The society has come to depend on electricity to be as
essential as other basic needs and that is why the government needs to work to
guarantee this right. As data from the 2011 census shows that nearly 70% of the
people still live in rural areas, do not forget who the ‘true aam aadmi’ is. While special laws are in
place for theft of electricity, actions are the need of the hour to bring the
consumer to toe the regulations. A new government has taken the seat at the
centre. Changes are taking place, but at what pace, is yet to be seen.
The Indian economy surges ahead hand
in hand with growth in the energy sector, but to be able to sustain an economy
that is forecasted to grow to a mammoth $5 trillion in 2020 is a huge
challenge. In this growth, as an engineer, one only hopes that whatever the
situation is in six years, the right to reliable electricity is availed for by
all the citizens by then!
-Anurag Arya
