Power trade up 50% in North

 The total energy traded in the northern region has increased over 50 per cent since the introduction of the availability-based tariff (ABT) regime.

 While 2,927.97 million units were traded by northern states between December 2001 and September 2002, 4,483.73 million units were traded between December 2002 and September 2003.

 Between December 2002 and September 2003, an average 11 power trading agreements a month were signed compared with seven agreements between December 2001 and September 2002 in the region.

 Trading has been on the rise because of an increasing trend among states including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh towards creating a buffer to ensure energy security, while trading the surplus power when domestic demand is low.

 The three-part tariff structure implemented under the availability-based tariff regime provides the states an opportunity to sell surplus power by paying just the fixed cost, while the other two components