CHENNAI: Citing a sharp increase in peak electricity demand driven by the growing use of air conditioners, rapid urbanisation, expansion of commercial establishments, rising agricultural demand and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued an advisory directing power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to take advance measures to prevent summer power cuts and improve the reliability of electricity supply.
In a communication to principal secretaries and energy secretaries of states and Union Territories, CEA Chairperson Ghanshyam Prasad said that while India has significantly strengthened its power generation capacity and transmission network over the years, several states continue to witness load shedding during summer due to weaknesses in the distribution network rather than a shortage of electricity.
The advisory said overloaded distribution transformers and feeders, inadequate transformer capacity at substations, ageing equipment, voltage issues, delayed network augmentation and poor preventive maintenance were among the major causes of summer power outages. It also pointed to underestimation of demand growth, lack of scientific load forecasting and failure to account for the increasing electricity consumption of consumers who install high-load appliances such as air conditioners without upgrading their sanctioned load.
The CEA has asked DISCOMs to shift from a reactive approach of restoring supply after faults occur to proactive planning based on scientific demand forecasting, preventive maintenance and timely network augmentation.
It has directed utilities to undertake annual assessments of connected loads at the substation and distribution transformer levels, with particular focus on air-conditioning penetration, new residential townships, commercial complexes, industrial expansion, agricultural feeder growth and EV charging stations. The authority has also asked utilities to leverage smart meter data for more accurate demand forecasting.
Every DISCOM has been instructed to complete a summer preparedness review by February each year. The review should identify distribution transformers loaded above 80% capacity, feeders operating above 80%, power transformers loaded beyond 75% and areas facing persistent low-voltage problems. District-wise mapping of transformer failure hotspots and rapidly growing load centres has also been recommended.
The advisory calls for the use of data analytics to monitor transformer and feeder loading, voltage profiles and technical losses. Distribution transformers operating above 90% capacity should be upgraded immediately, while heavily loaded feeders should be prioritised for augmentation before the onset of summer.
The CEA has also emphasised comprehensive preventive maintenance of substations, transformers and feeders before March every year. Utilities have been asked to inspect transformer oil levels, bushings, earthing systems and electrical connections, besides carrying out tree trimming, thermal imaging surveys, hotspot detection and maintenance of capacitor banks to minimise equipment failures.
To improve emergency response, the authority has directed DISCOMs to maintain mobile distribution transformers, create dedicated emergency response teams, stock adequate critical spare equipment and establish outage management systems integrated with GIS, SCADA and consumer complaint platforms for faster restoration of supply.
The advisory also recommends demand-side management measures, including voluntary demand response programmes for large consumers, wider implementation of time-of-day tariffs and promotion of energy-efficient cooling appliances to reduce peak load.
For the medium term, the CEA has asked utilities to establish new substations in high-growth areas, strengthen feeder networks, expand smart metering, undertake scientific distribution planning studies and adopt predictive maintenance using smart meter data and asset health monitoring.
Stressing the need for better planning, the authority said every DISCOM should prepare an annual distribution system capacity assessment and summer preparedness plan based on feeder-wise, transformer-wise and substation-wise loading data. It said most summer load shedding could be avoided if utilities identify assets approaching 80% loading at least six months in advance and complete corrective measures before peak demand sets in.