Access to reliable and affordable energy supply is an important factor affecting the quality of life and economic development in any country. Therefore, the Government is committed to ensure 24*7 power supply for all by 31^st March, 2019. Towards this goal, many important milestones have been achieved and the year 2018 has been historic for electricity reached every village on 28^th April, 2018 under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). Now focus is on electrifying every household under Saubhagya. With 9 states already reaching 100 % household electrification, this target will also be achieved well before its deadline.

Several steps have been taken to reform and strengthen the power sector as a whole including power generation, transmission and distribution. These also include not only achievements in capacity addition but also important reforms being undertaken on increasing energy efficiency and increasing accountability and transparency by launching Mobile applications like PRAAPTI, Ash Track etc.

The details of Year-long achievements for Ministry of Power are as below:

1. SAUBHAGYA

• Launched for universal electrification in September, 2017
• Camps organised at village level. Minimum documentation required
• Special drive for economically weaker sections under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
• Over 2.1 crore households electrified since 11^th Oct, 2017
• 9 States have achieved 100% saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya namely Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, J&K, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.
• Thus total 16 States in the country now have 100 % household electrification.
• Many more State like Maharashtra, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh etc. are left with small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time.
• Nation expected to achieve 100 % household electrification by 31^st December, 2018

Achievement under Saubhagya during January to November 2018

• Number of households electrified – more than 2 Crore

2. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGKY)

• 100 per cent village electrification achieved
• Outlay of Rs. 75,893 crore
• 2,58,870 km HT and LT lines
• 4.10.146 distribution transformers

3. Generation capacity

• Around 1,07,000 MW Generation Capacity has been added till October 2018 since April 2014.
• All India Generation Installed Capacity has increased by 39.2% from 2,48,554 MW as on 31.3.2014 to 3,46,048 MW as on 31.10.2018.
• India emerges as net exporter of electricity. 7203 MU supplied to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar in FY 2017-18 and 4628 MU in current year 2018-19 (Upto October 2018).
• Energy deficit reduced from 4.2% in FY 2013-14 to 0.6% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018). Peak Deficitalso reduced from 4.5% in FY 2013-14 to 0.8% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018).
• Peak Demand Met has increased by 35.2% to 1,75,528 MW during the current year (April-October 2018) from 1,29,815 MW during same period in 2013-14.
• Energy Availability has also increased by 35.2% to 764.627 BU during the current year (April-October 2018) from 565.698 BU during same period in 2013-14.

4. One Grid One Nation (Achievements till Oct, 2018)

• Expansion of transmission grid by 1,11,433 ckm from 2014-15 to 2018-19 (11,799 ckm added in FY 2018-19)
• Transformation capacity addition of 3,38,202 MVA from 2014-15 to 2018-19 (41,790 MVA added in FY 2018-19)
• 26 projects worth Rs. 48,426 crore awarded through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
• Inter-regional transfer capacity addition more than tripled from 16,000 MW in FY 2010-14 to 54,700 MW during FY 2014-15 to 2018-19 (4,200 MW added in FY 2018-19).

5. Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS)

• Outlay of Rs. 65,424 crore

• 1378 towns IT enabled
• 1900 additional towns under progress
• Installation of 43,449 Km HT and LT lines completed out of the total 1,30,348 Km of awarded quantity
• Installation of 28,193 distribution transformers completed out of the total 58,145 no. of awarded quantity

6. UDAY

• More than Rs.34,000 Crores interest cost saved by DISCOMs under UDAY within two years.
• Reduction in AT&C losses in 22 States within two years of operation. AT&C losses have come down to 18.76% in FY18 as compared to 20.77% in FY16.
  Revenue gaps bridged by 72 per cent within two years operation of UDAY. The national level ACS-ARR gaps are at 17 paise/unit  in FY18 as compared to 60 paise/unit in FY16.
• India’s rank improved to 24 in 2018 from 137 in 2014 on World Bank’s Ease of doing business - "Getting Electricity" Ranking.

7. Focus on North-East region-

• Rs. 9865.75 crore projects in progress for strengthening / development of intra-state transmission & distribution systems in NER (including Sikkim).
• Electrification of 6379 villages and intensive electrification of 9822 villages completed.
• 130 towns IT enabled.
  • 68.76 lakh LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme
  • 99,895 LED streetlights installed under the SLNP scheme
• Rs. 9866 crore projects undertaken for strengthening/development of intra-state transmission

8. 4376 MW hydel capacity addition (FY 2014-18)

9. Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservaton

1. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA)

• 31.68 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme resulting in estimated cost saving of INR 16,457 crore per year, estimated energy savings of 41.14 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 8,237 MW and GHG emission reduction of 33.32 million t CO₂ per year.
• 88 percent reduction in LED bulb procurement cost through demand aggregation

2. Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP)

• To replace 1.34 crore conventional streetlights with smart and energy efficient LED street lights by March, 2019.
• 74.79 lakh LED street lights have been installed resulting in estimated energy savings of 5.02 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 837 MW and GHG emission reduction of 3.46 million t CO₂ per year

The current progress of implementation of the National LED programme since its launch on 5^th January 2015 is as follows:

3. Transport Sector

National E-Mobility Programme launched to provide an impetus to the entire e-mobility ecosystem including vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc.

• No licence required for charging stations
• Procurement of 10,000 e-cars concluded for Government institutions
• 902 e-cars have been deployed/under registration

4. BEE Star Labelling

• The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to encourage the deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems. The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance. Initially, the program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid upto 31' December 2020.
• LED and inverter AC have been notified under mandatory regime. Star labelling program for Variable speed Air Conditioners and LED lamps were notified in mandatory domain during the year 2017. The implementation of the same has begun w.e.f 1st January, 2018.
• Star labelling program saved energy worth INR 22,500 crore during the year 2017-18

5. Industrial Energy Efficiency

• Energy efficiency measures through PAT in large industries saved energy worth Rs. 9500 crore annually.
• Notification of PAT cycle IV for 846 DCs from 13 sectors has been issued

6. Building Energy Efficiency

• Energy Conservation Guidelines launched for large scale industries to promote equipment efficiency by reducing energy consumption with the help of standardizing the energy performance values of various energy-consuming equipment and systems deployed for the manufacturing process.

10. Digital initiatives-

• Enabling payments through NPCI platforms such as BHIM, BBPS, Bharat QR etc. More than 24 crore digital transactions in FY 2017-18 for electricity bill payments.
• To bring transparency and to disseminate information to public at large following Apps are launched by the Ministry of Power:
• PRAAPTI: A Web portal and an App namely PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement) for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators), www.praapti.in, has been officially launched.
• Ash Track- linking fly ash users and power plants for better ash utilisation. A Web based monitoring System and a Fly Ash mobile application named ASH TRACK. These platforms will enable better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc.

11. Fighting pollution:

• Ministry of Power has issued a policy to use 5-10% of biomass pellets along with coal for power generation in thermal power plants.
• To promote use of the Biomass pellets, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has written to all Central/State Utilities, State Governments, Power Equipment Manufacturers/Integrated Power Producers/Generating Companies that all fluidized bed and pulverized coal units of power generating utilities (coal based thermal power plants) except those having ball and tube mill, shall endeavour to use 5-10% blend of Biomass pellets made, primarily, of agro residue along with coal after assessing the technical feasibility, viz., the safety aspects etc.

12. Reforms

• In order to encourage Renewable Generation, Ministry of Power extended the waiver of ISTS Transmission charges and losses for Solar and Wind based Projects upto March 2022.  
• In order to achieve the Renewable target of 1,75,000 MW of Renewable capacity by 2022, MOP issued Long Term Growth trajectory Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for Solar as well as Non-Solar till the year 2022.  
• With the aim of promoting renewable generation and reduction of emission, MOP issued a scheme on Flexibility in generation and scheduling of Thermal Power Stations to reduce emissions.
•  MoP has issued a direction to the CERC under section 107 of the Electricity Act, 2003 on 30^th May, 2018 for implementation of new Environmental Norms for Thermal Power Plants suggested by MOEF&CC.
• In order to reduce the overall cost of generation as well as cost of power to consumer (Company level merit order operation), MOP issued a scheme on Flexibility in generation and scheduling of Thermal Power Stations to reduce cost of power to consumers.
• In our endeavor for revival of the stressed assets, a Pilot Scheme was introduced by MOP in April 2018 to facilitate procurement of aggregated power of 2500 MW for 3 (three) years (covered under medium term) from the generating companies having coal based Power Plants which are already commissioned without having a power purchase agreement for the quantum of power the Bidder is willing to bid.
• Major reform initiatives are being taken by Ministry of Power which includes addressing various issues being faced by electricity sector through draft amendments proposed in Electricity Act 2003 and Tariff Policy, 2016. Draft amendments to Electricity Act were circulated for stakeholder comments on 7.9.2018 and draft Amendments to Tariff Policy were circulated for Stakeholder comments on 30.5.2018.

******

RCJ/MS