ELECTRICITY

That electricity in India is not in great supply is to be expected. The raw materials are: coal (there are huge reserves of coal but with a high ash content); natural gas (indigenous or imported); hydroelectricity; a few nuclear power stations; and captive generating sets fuelled by diesel, imported or locally produced.

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) looks after the coal and gas power stations while the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) builds and runs the hydro stations.
The potential for hydroelectric power is perhaps under utilised. There are objections against building big hydrostations in the Himalayan foothills because of the unreliable geology of the region. Environmental damage, and the problems of relocating displaced people, are also important issues.
Nuclear power is run entirely by the public sector and is managed by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
A few wind turbine farms have appeared on the sea coasts, but not in significant numbers. Solar power (thermal) has not yet been attempted on a large scale as seen in Israel or Spain though light-dependent solar panels have appeared in the commercial sector and are used in rural environments.
Coal bed methane’ is another potential source of gas-powered electricity generation, and some commercially managed stations may appear in the near future.
Biomass digesters are slowly taking root in the rural sector, and could provide a market for ferro-cement manufacturers.

However, there are design faults in the transmission and distribution of electricity and until the (sometimes political) loopholes are plugged, state electricity boards will continue running at a loss.

In most states, electricity is free for farmers (for irrigation systems etc.); this has become a political issue comparable perhaps to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Electricity is not subsidised for industry.

And aside from the inefficiencies of the public-sector-managed electricity transmission network, there is also ‘theft’ of power in the towns and cities.

Although a lot of effort is being put into establishing new generating stations, Indian power generation will continue to run at a loss until the issues are solved.