Electricity Distribution Companies and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions face many challenges – some old and some new. Growing financial losses, pockets of high distribution losses and poor quality or supply in rural areas are some challenges, which have been around for a few decades. Reforms after reforms have not been able to completely address them. High base-load capacity addition, increasing cost of conventional power, growing penetration of renewable power, growth of electricity markets and emergence of battery storage are some new challenges.  Facing them calls for a paradigm shift in distribution business and regulatory oversight. Improving the planning process, preparing to integrate renewable and storage- including distributed, focussing on special measures to protect small consumers and promoting healthy markets are some suggestions to meet these challenges.

The webinar will introduce the new challenges and medium-term suggestions to address them, largely in the context of grid power based, state owned distribution companies.

About the Invited Speaker :

Sreekumar has been working in power sector in the areas of policy analysis and Information Technology applications from 1984. After 14 years in the industry (L&T and CMC Limited), in 2000 he joined Prayas, a voluntary organisation based at Pune, India, and is currently Member - Prayas (Energy Group). The Energy Group works on policy analysis, governance and civil society capacity building in energy sector. Sreekumar is a member of government committees and is associated with several voluntary organisations. He is an author of many articles, papers, booklets, including a Citizens’ Primer on the electricity sector and a book on electricity sector reforms. Sreekumar received his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT - Bombay in 1984 and Master's degree in Power Systems Engineering from IIT- Kharagpur. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and is associated with the electricity safety initiative of IEEE Hyderabad.