Electricity has long been a political issue in India, and one of the sops that political parties often promise during election campaigns is free power particularly for farming and low-income communities. But this has long posed a challenge for Indian utilities, or, discoms as they are called in India. This has led to bulk power purchasers in India, typically big industries, whom we call 'commercial and industrial' consumers being charged a premium for the power they consume to compensate for the losses incurred due to subsidies, and also, often due to low-rates fixed by various states’ electricity regulatory commissions. Renewable energy has been generally priced at a premium in most economies, but in India, this is challenging, due to the subsidies, making it unattractive for industrial consumers.
In the first of this series at WRI India's The Energy Pod, we discuss the challenges facing Indian utilities in enhancing the amount of renewable energy on offer for their customers.
We begin with a conversation with Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO, Tata Power, who is based in Mumbai. Tata Power has been one of India’s early privately-sector electricity distribution companies with main operations in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. It has also been an early adopter of new pricing for renewable energy by offering innovative Green Tariffs mainly for its Commercial and Industrial customers.
This series is anchored by Deepak Krishnan, Associate Director, WRI India Energy Program; edited by freelance sound engineer Rajesh Mukkath; and scripted and directed by Kunal Shankar, Senior Communications Manager, WRI India Energy Program ; Ashok Thanikonda, who was formerly with WRI India, assisted with the interview.
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