The Indian power sector is experiencing unprecedented changes, visible in several ways:
- Through the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act.
- Financial challenges faced by the electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) due to reduced revenue realization on account of the COVID-19 economic impact.
- Power pricing corrections in the renewable and conventional power sources.
- The recent launch of the real-time-market and the coal/gas markets.
- Recent opportunities through end-use efficiency measures and flexibility of the load to respond to power availability.
While supply-side solutions emerge, options through end-use efficiency improvements are important. These efficiency improvements are considered the first fuel in matured power markets before introducing other decarbonisation measures.
With the technological advances, energy efficiency, demand-response, rooftop photovoltaic, and battery and thermal energy storage are offering specific system value in the form of:
- Reducing societal costs.
- Stabilising the grid through ancillary services.
- Valuing energy markets instead of capacity lock-ins.
- Evaluating inputs to long-range planning.
Such opportunities have been tried in matured power systems in North America, the European Union, and India, with certain demonstrations carried out. Departing from the conventional notion of the end-use efficiency and the DISCOMs acting as adversaries, it is important to create business structures that bring the end-use investment opportunities within the regulated and emerging electricity markets. These structures should meet the financing goals for DISCOMs, as well as the end users, while creating the grid of the future.
Through this curated webinar session, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) are coming together to learn from existing global and local experience with behind-the-meter interventions. Our aim is to create deeper insights for designing effective regulatory and policy initiatives that enable greater utilisation of demand-side resources in India, supporting not only deeper decarbonisation of the power sector, but also enhancing and consolidating financial viability of the DISCOMs.
Agenda
Welcome and introductions to the webinar and expert panel
- Dr. Mahesh Patankar, RAP and Mr. A. K. Saxena, TERI
Valuing demand-side resources – experiences from U.S. and EU
- Ms. Ann McCabe (US) and Dr. Jan Rosenow (EU), RAP
Opportunities of demand-side management in Indian context
- Mr. K. Ramanathan, Distinguished Fellow, TERI
Fireside Chat
Statements on learning from US and EU and its applicability in India
- Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI
- Mr. Richard Sedano, CEO and President, RAP
Experts Panel
- Mr. Padu S. Padmanaban, Former Director & Senior Energy advisor, USAID India
- Mr. Richard Rossow, Senior Advisor and Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies
- Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, Energy Efficiency Services Limited
Questions to the panel
- Is this the right time to embed clean energy investments through partnerships in the Indian DISCOM segments?
- What are the top three recommendations on the policy-changes or regulatory imperatives you would make for enhancing energy efficiency and renewable energy interventions?
- What levels of partnerships you would recommend to promote blending private and public capital in making DISCOMs financially viable and consumers to see reduced tariffs?
- How do DSM interventions help DISCOMs in crisis, emergency and pandemic situations like COVID-19?
About the organizers
TERI: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), established in 1974, is a premier think-tank dedicated to research on sustainable development in India and the world over. Its key focus is on promoting clean energy, water and pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience.
The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)® is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to a clean, reliable, and efficient energy future.