Learning platform for power sector utilities in India

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), with the support of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), has launched a Distribution Utilities Forum (DUF) that brings together various distribution utilities across India to a single platform and envisages taking up issues and challenges in the distribution sector towards enabling distribution reforms. Based on the suggestions made by the Forum members in the first meeting of Distribution Utility Forum held on 4th May 2018, three themes have been identified. These themes will form the basis of discussion in ensuing Forum meetings. In the interactions/discussions TERI have had with various power utilities and Regulatory Commissions, it has come to fore that there are a number of other areas in which distribution utilities would like to get the benefit of robust in depth analysis. A few theme tracks in which utilities have shown keen interest after the first DUF meeting are (a) Preparing Demand-Side Management (DSM) action plan based on extensive load research as well as technical support for implementation of DSM interventions; (b) Integration study for grid operation in Andaman and Nicobar islands for proposed solar capacity; (c) Decentralized solar PV near the rural user end to minimize distribution losses and providing end-of-line voltage support. (d) Assessment for aggregating DSM opportunities at utility level among industrial consumers for low carbon growth.