Ever since Govt. allowed porting out mobile services, things have been smooth for the consumers. If you don’t like a particular mobile service, you can simply switch to another telecom provider, while keeping your number same.
Now, the same principle would be applied for power companies as well: You can simply change your provider of power supply, by ‘porting out’ of their service, and ‘porting into’ another power company.
Besides, some major reforms in the power sector has also been planned.
In a related news, India’s largest floating solar power plant has been inaugurated in Kerala, which will have the capacity to generate 500 kilowatts of power. This has been hailed as one of the largest such project of renewable energy, anywhere in the world.
Don’t Like Power Connection? Switch Your Power Company!
Electricity is still one of those services, which is largely Govt dominated, and the price and tariff is usually fixed by the Govt.
However, as seen in Delhi where power is now distributed by three private companies as well (two are from Reliance and one is from Tata), the sector is now opening up.
Efforts led by Minister of State for the Power and New and Renewable Energy Ministry, RK Singh will push The Power Ministry to amend the crucial Electricity Amendment Bill – 2018, which will allow consumers to switch between power companies, if they are not satisfied with the services.
The exact process hasn’t been outlined, but most probably, the infrastructure and the wirings would remain the same, but the source of power supply can be changed.
It has been hailed as a major reform initiated in the power sector, never seen before in India.
Only Delhi and Mumbai (where Tata power is quite active) are the two cities where private players are allowed to distribute and generate power, besides Govt. entities.
Some analysts are also seeing this as a major step towards privatization of power, as the consumers would be now empowered with more choices.
Minister Singh said,
“Once the Act is amended, we would prepare a roadmap in consultation with States to prepare a roadmap to segregate distribution and supply wings of the discoms. After that monopoly will be eliminated in supply wing by giving franchise to more than one players in an electricity supply area.”
We will keep you updated as receive more inputs regarding this..
India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant Is Now Live!
In a related news, Kerala has become the state to have India’s largest floating solar power plant, wherein solar panels floating on the river will generate energy.
Kerala State power minister MM Mani inaugurated this unique floating solar power plant in Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad yesterday.
The official release issued by Kerala State Electricity Board said,
“The solar power plant that floats on the surface of water has a capacity of 500 kilowatts (KW). This is the country’s largest floating solar plant,”
This unique solar plant has been made using ferrocement technology and consists of 1,938 solar panels with a capacity of 260 watts, a 500 kilo volt ampere (KVA) transformer and 17 inverters.
Thiruvananthapuram-based Ad tech Systems has constructed this plant at a cost of Rs 9.25 crore, and the unique thing about this project is the anchoring mechanism, which makes sure that solar panels maintain their position, despite alterations in the water level and flow.
This is certainly one huge step towards renewable energy in India.