In a recent interview with Udayan Mukherjee, the big bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwala made an interesting bold statement - "I think nobody has read the Electricity (Amendment) Bill. Once it passes, it will be bigger than 1991 reforms."
A thread🧵dissecting the ongoing Power reforms 👇
2/17
In summary, the Amendment Bill 2021 says:
⚡️ Delicensing of state monopoly- open to competition
⚡️ Consumers can choose discoms (like telcos)
⚡️ Smart meters to plug leakages
⚡️ Easy resolution of disputes
⚡️ Right to 24x7 electricity
⚡️ Rewarding consumers shifting to solar
3/17
We'll discuss these in detail. But first, some context.
India's is the 3rd largest consumer of electricity. But also one of the most inefficient (measured via AT&C losses - electricity that is generated but does not reach intended customers)
AT&C: 22% vs 8% global. Chart 👇
4/17
Currently, only 9% Indians are served by private discoms (Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi).
AT&C loss for Delhi has declined from 55% in 2002 to 9% in 2020 after power distribution was taken over by three private licensees. Makes a strong case for broader delicensing of discoms.
5/17
What are discoms?
The Power value chain:
Raw material (Coal, Fuel) --> Generation --> Transmission --> Distribution --> Consumption
In this chain, Distribution companies (or discoms) have been the weakest link for last 3 decades.