Niti Aayog unveils ‘Three Year Action Agenda’ for power and energy

Identifying energy as one of the most complex sectors of the economy, the draft Three Year Action Agenda for FY18-FY20 released by the Niti Aayog, recommended a number of targets and policy guidelines. Energy efficiency was a key role in the formulation of the agendas. The suggestions touch upon all the major segments of the entire energy value chain.
Generation
Citing the current low plant load factor (PLF) of thermal power plants, mainly owing to low demand, the report suggested take a cautious approach on capacity additions after FY20. It suggested that thermal power plants with unsatisfactory energy efficiency levels should go thorough renovation and modernisation. Old polluting power plants near populated near populated areas should be phased out by 2019. New thermal plants near populated areas should be based on ultra super critical technology, it said. Reiterating the need for energy efficiency, the report said that strict compliance of emissions norms must be overseen.
PLFs of gas based power plants must be raised from the current levels of 24.8%. Large hydro project generation capacity by FY20 should be 6.9GW, it said. Niti suggested nuclear energy capacity addition of 2.8 GW by 2019.
Work on new projects under construction and the third and fourth units at Kudankulam should be actively pursued.
Transmission
It suggested that transmission capacity to South India must be increased to 18.4 GW. Transmission corridor on the Indian side must be set up by FY20 to evacuate power from the hydel project joint venture in Bhutan.
Distribution
Efforts must be taken to lower aggregate technical and commercial losses and meeting other targets set under the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana. It specified that it must be ensured that the discoms do not face any shortage
of working capital. Metering plans must be expedited.

Source:FE