Energetica India Magazine -October 2020

58 energetica INDIA- October_2020 Primary determinants of power quality are frequency of voltage spikes or interruptions. Poor quality of power not only affects the quality of life and comfort, but on a larger and considerable scale results in loss of industrial and commercial productivity. The large gap between demand and supply of power is the root cause of the subtly wors- ening power quality across India. The energy demands for India, which is home to more than 130 crore people, are on the continuous rise for clean and green energy. Thus, in order to meet the energy needs of the country, Gov- ernment of India announced various schemes to ensure that the entire coun- try including rural parts are connected to the electricity grid. The schemes, though well intended, were unable to reach their expected potentials, reveal- ing that the process is not that simple, and in the last mile connectivity, con- necting homes to the local transmission sources turns out to be a difficult task, if not altogether impossible, on account of various bottlenecks, courtesy numerous levels of compliances. It ought to be remembered that it is not just the power to be supplied, but great care has to be taken to ensure that quality of power remains top-notch. The primary determinants of power quality are frequency of voltage spikes or inter - ruptions. Poor quality of power not only affects the quality of life and comfort, but on a larger and considerable scale results in loss of industrial and commer- cial productivity. The large gap between demand and supply of power is the root cause of the subtly worsening power quality across India. Despite various efforts by successive governments, the shortage of power supply is still major cause of concern across India. Adding to the concerns is the grim-looking fi - nancial stability of many Discoms who regardless have to supply power to ru- ral areas, often compromising on the quality to mitigate their own losses, and this further exposes the bleak nature of the situation. Owing to their financial instabilities, several Discoms are many times left embarrassed being unable to purchase power to meet their minimum consumer demands, let alone making any meaningful investment in alternate sources of energy such as renewables. The resultant effects are naturally borne by the ultimate consumers who do not get good quality of power, and on other hand the power producers who are un- able to sell power in the market, thereby staring at accumulating major losses, and in some cases also a potential de- fault under their facility agreements. The days when conventional sources of energy had the highest demand are long forgotten and much behind us. With wind and solar energy sources be- coming cheaper, the continuous push towards choosing renewable source of energy is on a steep rise in the coun- try. The world today, places much more reliance and importance on sustainable development, and now more and more countries are bringing in legislations that promote and support clean and green energy sources. In India, energy sector is presently playing a critical and vital role in both assembling sustainable development objectives and plummeting environmen- tal externalities. Per the International En- ergy Agency (IEA) India Energy Review 2020, the energy and emission intensi- ties of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) have decreased by more than 20% over the past decade. Based on current statistics, India’s demand for en- ergy is set to double by 2040, and its electricity demand may even triple. India has presently one of the largest unified power grids in the world that operates in a single frequency. Howev- er, the question that still haunts India remains the same – whether the ener- gy requirements of a country as large as India are being adequately met? Though India has earned for itself prais- es and recognition from the IEA for its untiring endeavours for market liberali - Rakshika Kaul Padora General Manager - Legal, Amp Energy India POWER SECTOR India Still Nowhere Near to Its Quality Energy Requirements