Load Generation and Balance Report (LGBR) 2016-17

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has released the Load Generation and Balance Report (LGBR) 2016-17.

Highlights of the report:

• In India, 300 million people don’t have access to electricity, power cuts are rampant and per capita power consumption is significantly lower than the world average.
• The deficit has reduced from 11% in 2008-09 to 2.9% in 2015-16 and for the first time, there will be a surplus in 2016-17. India is likely to experience the energy surplus of 1.1% in 2016-17. However, state discoms are unable to buy electricity due to poor financial health.
• Transmission and distribution constraints are also responsible for power cuts. To solve this problem, the government launched the Ujjawal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) in November 2015. By operational and financial turnaround of discoms, UDAY is expected to facilitate reliable, adequate and sufficient power supply to consumers, among other things.
• On an average, in 2015-16, the per capita consumption in India was 1,070 kWh, less than the world average of 3,026 kWh. It is also the lowest among BRICS nations.
• The low per capita consumption is mainly due to a large population, a low per capita income and a huge population not having access to electricity.
• Note that six States — Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura — will be power-surplus in 2016-17 but the per capita availability in the States is lower than the national average. Overall, 17 States will have power-surplus in 2016-17.
• Power demand for India grew by 6.6% in 2014-15 and 4.2% in 2015-16. In the last two years, Bihar — which has the lowest per capita power availability, witnessed the highest percentage growth, with demand increasing by around 25% in both years. This is indicative of more people getting connected to the grid.