Energy audit in a power distribution company for an Indian state
Student name: Ms Garima Sharma
Guide: Dr Suresh Jain
Year of completion: 2013
Host Organisation: ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited, Mumbai
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Sunil Varma Marri
Abstract: Power is the most important and crucial infrastructure for economic growth of a country. Out of
the three components of the power network: Generation, Transmission and Distribution; Power
distribution plays the final and the most crucial link in the electricity supply chain and
unfortunately it is the weakest link in our country. But the increasing gap between the average
revenue realization and the average cost of supply has rendered huge losses to the State
Electricity Board’s (SEB’s) since past one decade. These AT & C losses reached alarming levels
of 26,000 crores in 2000-01, which was equivalent to about 1.5% GDP.
So, In order to bring transformation in the power distribution segment the Government of India
(GoI) took up many initiatives such as the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY)
and Accelerated Power Development Programme (APDP) (Xth plan, 2000-2001) to improve the
financial viability of SEB’s and brings about the reduction of AT & C losses. Within 2 years, so
as to integrate incentive financing with the existing investment programme the APDP was
revamped to APDRP (Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme) to improve the
quality of power supply.
Then in July2008, APDRP was redesigned as R-APDRP (Restructured- Accelerated Power
Development and Reforms Programme) with focus to develop and freeze a baseline data, fixate
accountability, reduce AT & C losses below 15%, strengthen the transmission and the
distribution network and adopt Information Technology during the XIth Plan.
The aim of all these programmes is to provide electricity to all and to reduce and bring down the
AT & C losses across the country to 15%, so as to restore the commercial viability of the power
sector.
Keywords: Power sector, Power distribution, AT & C losses, R-APDRP, Baseline data.
