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Power Scenario Of India
Animesh Dhara1, Charanjiv Singh2
B Tech. Student , Dept. Of Civil Engg.
GNDEC, Ludhiana.
Abstract-India is the world's third largest
producer and third largest consumer of
electricity.The national electric grid in India has an
installed capacity of 368.79 GW as of 31 December
2019. Renewable power plants, which also include
large hydroelectric plants, constitute 34.86% of
India's total installed capacity. During the 2018-19
fiscal year, the gross electricity generated by
utilities in India was 1,372 TWh and the total
electricity generation (utilities and non utilities) in
the country was 1,547 TWh.The gross electricity
consumption in 2018-19 was 1,181 kWh per
capita.[5] In 2015-16, electric energy
consumption in agriculture was recorded as being
the highest (17.89%) worldwide.The per capita
electricity consumption is low compared to most
other countries despite India having a
low electricity tariff.
India has a surplus power generation capacity but
lacks adequate distribution infrastructure. To
address this, the Government of India launched a

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program called "Power for All" in 2016.The
program was accomplished by December 2018 in
providing the necessary infrastructure to ensure
uninterrupted electricity supply to all households,
industries, and commercial establishments.Funding
was made through a collaboration between the
Government of India and its constituent states.
India's electricity sector is dominated by
fossil fuels, in particular coal, which during the
2018-19 fiscal year produced about three-quarters
of the country's electricity. The government is
making efforts to increase investment in renewable
energy. The government's National Electricity Plan
of 2018 states that the country does not need more
non-renewable power plants in the utility sector
until 2027, with the commissioning of 50,025 MW
coal-based power plants under construction and
addition of 275,000 MW total renewable power
capacity after the retirement of nearly 48,000 MW
old coal-fired plants.
KEYWORDS : India ; Electricity; EnergySources;Demand Trend

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Introduction-From the time immemorial human
race has survived, grown, flourished and prospered
on the basis of energy produced, established and
utilized. The invention of fire accidentally proved a
major boost for early man to evolve into what we
are today. This discovery paved way to exploration
of the tremendous potential. Major inventions of
science focused on harnessing energy and
converting it from one form to another to achieve
mechanical work. The discovery of electricity has
paved way to the most flexible source of energy.
From powering consumer appliances, to multi-gear
machines that manufacture and assemble goods and
even certain artificial intelligence in the form of
computers and modern robotics, electricity is
synonymous with power.
Our early milestones

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India has always been a pioneer in the generation
and utilization of electricity since the 19th century.
Major developments associated with harnessing the
full potential of electricity are as follows:
 The first demonstration of electric light in
Calcuttawas conductedon 24 July 1879.
 The first hydroelectric installation in India was
installed near a tea estate at Sidrapong for the
Darjeeling Municipality in 1897.
 Maharaja Partap Singh established the first
hydroelectric power station in Jammu &
Kashmir at Mohra in Baramullain 1905.
 Company (B.E.S.T.) set up a generating station
in 1905 to provide electricity for the tramway.
 The first electric train ran between Bombay’s
Victoria Terminus and Kurla along the harbor
Line.
 First Hydel power project at Darjeeling was
established in 1897.
Ever since, the electricity sector in India is
growing leaps and bounds, exhibiting great
dynamism and exponential growth. The utility
electricity sector in India had an installed
capacity of 271.722 GW as of end March 2015.
Renewable Power plants constituted 28% of total
installed capacity and Non-Renewable Power
Plants constituted the remaining 72%. The gross
electricity generated by utilities is 1106 TWh
(1106,000 GWh) and 166 TWh by captive power

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plants during the 2014–15 fiscal. The gross
electricity generation includes auxiliary power
consumption of power generation plants. India
became the world’s third largest producer of
electricity in the year 2013 with 4.8% global
share in electricity generation surpassing Japan
and Russia. During the year 2014-15, the per
capita electricity consumption in India was 1010
kWh with total electricity consumption (utilities
and non utilities) of 938.823 billion kWh. [1]
Electric energy consumption in agriculture was
recorded highest (18.45%) in 2014-15 among all
countries. The per capita electricity consumption
is lower compared to many countries despite
cheaper electricity tariff in India.
State-owned and privately owned companies are
significant players in India’s electricity sector, with
the private sector growing at a faster rate. India’s
central government and state governments jointly
regulate electricity sector in India. Major economic
and social drivers for India’s push for electricity
generation include India’s goal to provide universal
access, the need to replace current highly polluting
energy sources in use in India with cleaner energy
sources, a rapidly growing economy, increasing
household incomes, limited domestic reserves of
fossil fuels and the adverse impact on the
environment of rapid development in urban and
regional areas.

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The growth impetus to the power sector is further
fuelled by firm and flexible regulations framed by
the Ministry of Power, Government of India. One
of the major regulations is the Electricity Act of
2003. Electricity Act 2003 has been enacted and
came into force from 15.06.2003. The objective is
to introduce competition, protect consumer’s
interests and provide power for all. The Act
provides for National Electricity Policy, Rural
Electrification, Open access in transmission,
phased open access in distribution, mandatory
SERCs, license free generation and distribution,
power trading, mandatory metering and stringent
penaltiesfor theft of electricity.
It is a comprehensive legislation replacing
Electricity Act 1910, Electricity Supply Act 1948
and Electricity Regulatory Commission Act
1998.The Electricity Act, 2003 has been amended
on two occasions by the Electricity (Amendment)
Act, 2003 and the Electricity (Amendment) Act,
2007. The aim is to push the sector onto a
trajectory of sound commercial growth and to
enable the States and the Centre to move in
harmony and coordination.
GENERATION(billion units)

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GENERATON RATE (%)
Energy Sources
1) Thermal power: Thermal power plants convert
energy rich fuels such as coal, natural gas,
petroleum products, agricultural waste, domestic
trash/waste, etc. into electricity. Other sources of
fuel include landfill gas and biogases. In some
plants, renewal fuels such as biogas are co-fired
with coal. Coal and lignite accounted for about
60% of India’s total installed capacity. India’s
electricity sector consumes about 72% of the coal
produced in the country. India expects that its
projected rapid growth in electricity generation
over the next couple of decades is expected to be
largely met by thermal power plants.

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2) Hydropower : The hydro-electric power plants
at Darjeeling and Shimsha (Shivanasamudra) were
established in 1898 and 1902 respectively and were
among the first in Asia. India is endowed with
economically exploitable and viable hydro
potential assessed be about 84,000 MW at 60%
load factor. In addition, 6740 MW in terms of
installed capacity from Small, Mini, and Micro
Hydel schemes have been assessed. Also, 56 sites
for pumped storage schemes with an aggregate
installed capacity of 94,000 MW have been
identified. It is the most widely used form of
renewable energy. India is blessed with immense
amount of hydroelectric potential and ranks 5th in
terms of exploitable hydro-potential on global
scenario.
3) Nuclear power: India’s nuclear power plant
development began in 1964. India signed an
agreement with General Electric of the United
States for the construction and commissioning of
two boiling water reactors at Tarapur. In 1967, this
effort was placed under India’s Department of
Atomic Energy. In 1971, India set up its first
pressurized heavy water reactors with Canadian
collaboration in Rajasthan. In 1987, India created
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited to
commercialize nuclear power. Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited is a public sector

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enterprise, wholly owned by the Government of
India, under the administrative control of its
Department of Atomic Energy. Its objective is to
implement and operate nuclear power stations for
India’s electricity sector. The state-owned company
has ambitious plans to establish 63 GW generation
capacity by 2032, as a safe, environmentally benign
and economically viable source of electrical energy
to meet the increasing electricity needs of India
Renewable Sources of Energy for power
generation:-
a) Solarenergy:
India is endowed with a vast solar energy potential.
India receives one of the highest global solar
radiations – energy of about 5,000 trillion kWh per
year is incident over India’s land mass with most
parts receiving 4-7 kWh per m2 per day. Under
Solar Mission, a central government initiative,

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India plans to generate 1 GW of power by 2013
and up to 20 GW grid-based solar power, 2 GW of
off-grid solar power and cover 20 million square
meters with solar energy collectors by 2020. India
plans utility scale solar power generation plants
through solar parks with dedicated infrastructure by
state governments, among others, the governments
of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
b) Wind power:
India has the fifth largest installed wind power
capacity in the world. In 2010, wind power
accounted for 6% of India’s total installed power
capacity, and 1.6% of the country’s power output.
The largest wind power generating state was Tamil
Nadu accounting for 30% of installed capacity,
followed in decreasing order by Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
c) Biomass power:
In this system biomass, bagasse, forestry and agro
residue & agricultural wastes are used as fuel to
produce electricity. Nearly 750 million tons of non
edible (by cattle) biomass is available annually in
India which can be put to use for higher value
addition.
d) Geothermal energy:
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and
stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy
that determines the temperature of matter. India’s
geothermal energy installed capacity is

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experimental. Commercial use is insignificant.
According to some ambitious estimates, India has
10,600 MW of potential in the geothermal
provinces but it still needs to be exploited. India
has potential resources to harvest geothermal
energy.
The resource map for India has been grouped
into six geothermal provinces:
 Himalayan Province – Tertiary Orogenic belt
with Tertiary magmatic rocks.
 Areas of Faulted blocks – Aravalli belt,
Naga-Lushi, West coast regions and
Son-Narmada lineament.
 Volcanic arc – Andaman and Nicobar arc.
 Deep sedimentary basin of Tertiary age such as
Cambay basin in Gujarat.
 Radioactive Province – Surajkund, Hazaribagh,
Jharkhand.
 Cratonic province – PeninsularIndia
e) Tidal wave energy:
Tidal energy technologies harvest energy from the
seas. The potential of tidal wave energy becomes
higher in certain regions by local effects such as
shelving, funnelling, reflection and resonance.
India is surrounded by sea on three sides; its
potential to harness tidal energy is significant. In
December 2011, the Ministry of New & Renewable
Energy, Government of India and the Renewable
Energy Development Agency of Govt. of West

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Bengal jointly approved and agreed to implement
India’s first 3.75 MW Durgaduani mini tidal power
project. Indian government believes that tidal
energy may be an attractive solution to meet the
local energy demands of this remote delta region.
Demand trends
During the fiscal year 2014-15, the electricity

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generated in utility sector is 1,030.785 billion KWh
with a short fall of requirement by 38.138 billion
KWh (-3.6%) against the 5.1% deficit anticipated.
The peak load met was 141,180 MW with a short
fall of requirement by 7,006 MW (-4.7%) against
the 2.0% deficit anticipated. In a May 2015 report,
India’s Central Electricity Authority anticipated,
for the 2015–16 fiscal year, a base load energy
deficit and peaking shortage to be 2.1% and 2.6%
respectively. Southern and North Eastern regions
are anticipated to face energy shortage up to 11.3%.
The marginal deficit figures clearly reflect that
India would become electricity surplus during the
12th five-year plan period.
In December 2011, over 300 million Indian citizens
had no access to frequent electricity. Over one third
of India’s rural population lacked electricity, as did
6% of the urban population. Of those who did have
access to electricity in India, the supply was
intermittent and unreliable. In 2010, blackouts and
power shedding interrupted irrigation and
manufacturing across the country. States such as
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, etc. provide continuous
power supply.
Despite an ambitious rural electrification
programme, some 400 million Indians lose
electricity access during blackouts. According to a
sample of 97,882 households in 2002, electricity
was the main source of lighting for 53% of rural

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households compared to 36% in 1993. While 80%
of Indian villages have at least an electricity line,
just 52.5% of rural households have access to
electricity. In urban areas, the access to electricity
is 93.1% in 2008. The overall electrification rate in
India is 64.5% while 35.5% of the population still
lives without access to electricity.
The 17th electric power survey of India report
claims:
 Over 2010–11, India’s industrial demand
accounted for 35% of electrical power
requirement, domestic household use
accounted for 28%, agriculture 21%,
commercial 9%, public lighting and other
miscellaneous applications accounted for the
rest.
 The electrical energy demand for 2016–17 is
expected to be at least 1,392 Tera Watt Hours,
with a peak electric demand of 218 GW.
 The electrical energy demand for 2021–22 is
expected to be at least 1,915 Tera Watt Hours,
with a peak electric demand of 298 GW.
If current average transmission and distribution
average losses remain same (32%), India needs to
add about 135 GW of power generation capacity,
before 2017, to satisfy the projected demand after
losses.

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India’s demand for electricity may cross 300 GW,
earlier than most estimates.
To explain their estimates, there are four
primary reasons:
 India’s manufacturing sector is likely to grow
faster than in the past.
 Domestic demand will increase more rapidly
as the quality of life for more Indians improve.
 About 125,000 villages are likely to get
connectedto India’s electricity grid.
 Blackouts and load shedding artificially
suppresses demand; this demand will be
sought as revenue potential by power
distribution companies.
A demand of 300 GW will require about 400 GW
of installed capacity it is further noted. The extra
capacity is necessary to account for plant
availability, infrastructure maintenance, spinning
reserve and losses.
In 2010, electricity losses in India during
transmission and distribution were about 24%,
while losses because of consumer theft or billing
deficiencies added another 10–15%. According to
two studies published in 2004, theft of electricity in
India, amounted to a nationwide loss of $4.5 billion.
This led several states of India to enact and
implement regulatory and institutional framework;
develop a new industry and market structure; and

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privatize distribution. Power cuts are common
throughout India and the consequent failure to
satisfy the demand for electricity has adversely
effected India’s economic growth.
Problems with India’s power sector
 Inadequate last mile connectivity is the main
problem to supply electricity for all users. The
country has already adequate generation and
transmission capacity to meet the full demand
temporally and spatially. However, due to lack
of last-mile link-up with all electricity
consumers and reliable power supply (to
exceed 99%), many consumers depend on
Diesel Generator sets using costly diesel oil for
meeting unavoidable power requirements. The
distribution companies should focus on
providing uninterrupted power supply to all the
consumers who are using costly DG set’s
power. This should be achieved by laying
separate buried power cables (not to be
effected by rain and winds) for emergency
power supply in addition to the normal supply
lines. Emergency supply power line shall
supply power when the normal power supply
line is not working. Emergency power supply
would be charged at higher price without any
subsidy but less than the generation cost from
diesel oil. Nearly 80 billion KWh electricity is
generated annually in India by DG sets, which

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are consuming nearly 15 million tons of diesel
oil.
 Demand build up measures can be initiated to
consume the cheaper electricity (average price
Rs 2.5 per kWhr at generator’s supply point)
available from the grid instead of running the
coal/gas/oil fired captive power plants in
various electricity intensive industries.
 A system of cross-subsidization is practiced
based on the principle of ‘the consumer’s
ability to pay’. In general, the industrial and
commercial consumers subsidize the domestic
and agricultural consumers. Further,
Government giveaways such as free electricity
for farmers, partly to curry political favor, have
depleted the cash reserves of state-run
electricity-distribution system. This has
financially crippled the distribution network,
and its ability to pay for power to meet the
demand.
 The residential building sector is one of the
largest consumers of electricity in India.
Continuous urbanization and the growth of
population result in increasing power
consumption in buildings. Thus, while experts
express the huge potential for energy
conservations in this sector, the belief still
predominates among stakeholders that
energy-efficient buildings are more expensive

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than conventional buildings, which adversely
affects the “greening” of the buildingsector.
 Key implementation challenges for India’s
electricity sector include new project
management and execution, ensuring
availability of fuel quantities and qualities,
lack of initiative to develop large coal and
natural gas resources available in India, land
acquisition, environmental clearances at state
and central government level, and training of
skilled manpower to prevent talent shortages
for operatinglatest technology plants.
 Shortages of fuel: despite abundant reserves of
coal, India is facing a severe shortage of coal.
The country isn’t producing enough to feed its
power plants. Some plants do not have reserve
coal supplies to last a day of operations.
India’s monopoly coal producer,
state-controlled Coal India, is constrained by
primitive mining techniques and is rife with
theft and corruption; Coal India has
consistently missed production targets and
growth targets. Poor coal transport
infrastructure has worsened these problems. To
expand its coal production capacity, Coal India
needs to mine new deposits. However, most of
India’s coal lies under protected forests or
designated tribal lands. Any mining activity or
land acquisition for infrastructure in these
coal-rich areas of India has been rife with

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political demonstrations, social activism and
publicinterest litigations.
 Poor pipeline connectivity and infrastructure to
harness India’s abundant coal bed methane and
shale gas potential.
 The giant new offshore natural gas field has
delivered less fuel than projected. India faces a
shortage of natural gas.
 Hydroelectric power projects in India’s
mountainous north and north east regions have
been slowed down by ecological,
environmental and rehabilitation controversies,
coupledwith public interest litigations.
Theft of power
 Losses in the connector systems/service
connections leading to premature failure of
capital equipmentslike transformers
 India’s nuclear power generation potential has
been stymied by political activism since the
Fukushima disaster in Japan.
 Average transmission, distribution and
consumer-level losses exceeding 30% which
includes auxiliary power consumption of
thermal power stations, fictitious electricity
generation by wind generators & independent
power producers(IPPs), etc.
 Over 300 million (300 million) people in India
have no access to electricity. Of those who do,

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almost all find electricity supply intermittent
and unreliable.
 Lack of clean and reliable energy sources such
as electricity is, in part, causing about 800
million (800 million) people in India to
continue using traditional biomass energy
sources – namely fuel wood, agricultural waste
and livestock dung – for cooking and other
domestic needs. Traditional fuel combustion is
the primary source of indoor air pollution in
India, causes between 300,000 to 400,000
deaths per year and other chronichealth issues.
 India’s coal-fired, oil-fired and natural
gas-fired thermal power plants are inefficient
and offer significant potential for greenhouse
gas (CO2) emission reduction through better
technology. Compared to the average
emissions from coal-fired, oil-fired and natural
gas-fired thermal power plants in European
Union (EU-27) countries, India’s thermal
power plants emit 50% to 120% more CO2 per
kWh produced.
Summing up, the Power scenario has to be
continuously researched and dedicatedly
attended to if we wish to progress as a country.

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References:-
 Indian Electricity Scenario, Ministry Of Power,
Government Of India 2020.
 Power Sector At All Glance Of India ,Ministry Of
Power , Government Of India 2020.
 Electricity Sector In India , Wikipedia 2020.
 Energy Scenario, Bureau Of Energy Efficiency,
Government Of India 2020.
 Energy Scenario Present And Future,Researchgate
2020 .