Mumbai may escape load shedding

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) is unlikely to allow state power distribution firm Mahadiscom's demand to end islanding (to escape from the problems of grid failures) in Mumbai.

Top state electricity regulatory officials indicated that islanding of the city will continue as there are legal issues involved. Again, bringing the city on par with the rest of the state is not going to ease power situation significantly.

Mahadiscom had earlier sought a MERC directive on shutting down power supply to malls, multiplexes and shops in the city during the evening peak hours to help it overcome the current power deficit of 4,500 mw. An order from MERC is expected next week on extending load shedding in other parts of the state, except Mumbai.

Earlier, to cope with increasing power shortage, Mahadiscom had suggested a series of measures, including load management charges on consumers who use excess power, and shutting down power supply to malls, multiplexes, shops and neon signs during 5-11 pm across the state.

"First of all, Mahadiscom would not manage to get more than 100 mw, even if power supply to commercial establishments is shut during peak hours, so it really doesn't make sense to accept Mahadiscom's prayer," said a MERC official.

On the issue of load management charges and shutting down power supplies, there are some legal issues involved. A major part of the city and its suburbs are serviced by Tata Power and Reliance. Mahadiscom can't ask either for levying the load management charges or shutting down power supply on only one category of users, officials pointed out.

They added, six months earlier MERC issued an order about a measure to ease load shedding. The regulator had asked Mahadiscom to go for feeder separation for agricultural pumps, so that power supply to these pumps could be cut down during peak hours and more electricity could be made available to domestic consumers.

"Mahadiscom sought 18 months to implement the order. Now, even after six months, little progress has been made. Had they made some serious efforts, rural Maharashtra could have got some respite and wouldn't have to face 12-hour power cuts every day," officials said.

The regulator is also likely to suggest to Mahadiscom to explore the possibility of accessing captive power capacity of industries on the lines of Pune.

In Pune, industry associations have come forward to supply power from their captive power units to the city's domestic consumers, so that load shedding hours could be brought down. The regulator may suggest such alternatives for cities such as Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagpur.

Power generated from captive power units is generally costly. So, if some burden could be passed to the consumers and the rest taken by Mahadiscom, it becomes a feasible option, sources added.