At the very inception in our country the consumption of electricity was started for lightening the palaces of the King of Coochbehar in West Bengal and the King of Bikaneer in Rajasthan. In December, 1896 Indian Electric Company, which was Registered in London in 1895, was favoured with the license to distribute and sell electricity in 5.6 Square Mile area in the city of Calcutta, the then capital of India, under Calcutta Electricity Lighting Act for 21 years. Kilbern & Co., was engaged as agent of the said Indian Electricity Company with effect from the 7th January, 1897. In the year 1897 at Sindrapong under Darjeeling District, of West Bengal the 1st Hydro Electric Power Station of our country was installed. Its generating capacity was 130 K. Watt. Thermal Power starts its journey in our country from the 17th April, 1899. In the year 1903, the Electricity Act was amended and developed and as per the said Act C.E.S.C. (Calcutta Electric Supply Company) was favoured with the license for generation, distribution and sale of electricity in the city of Calcutta. The said C.E.S.C. has been continuing its business favoured with extension of license from time to time by the Govt of WB. Afterwards the same systems were introduced in Mumbai (The then Bombay) Kanpur and in 1907 in Chennai (The then Madras) and in Delhi. In the year 1910 The Indian Electricity Act was passed. The private entrepreneurships solely were engaged in generation, distribution, sale and in development of electricity in our country upto the year 1948 prior to enactment of the Indian Electricity Act 1948. In the year 1947 (the year of independence of our motherland from the British imperialists) installed capacity of electricity in our country was only 1363.265 Mega Watt only. The number of electrified villages and pumps engaged in agriculture were 1500 and 6500 respectively. Per capita consumption of electricity in India was only 16 units at that time.
After India’s independence it was planned for state owned electricity system to be introduced in our country, a backward country in true sense from economic aspect, a 2nd world war victim country for promoting industrialization, for developing agriculture, for promoting developed economy, for village electrification and for betterment of standard of livelihood of our country men. In 1948 The Indian Electric Supply Act was passed in our parliament. It was also decided that private entrepreneurships in electricity industry in India like the said Calcutta Electric Supply Company, The Bombay Suburban Electric Supply Company, The Delhi Electric Supply Company, The Ahmedabad Electric Supply Company and many others would be allowed to continue their business in this industry.
The State Electricity Boards started their journey with the said Act in the states of India. Sumultaneously D.V.C. (Damodar Valley Corporation) was set up to achieve the said motto of development of the country (Refer web site CEA). In 1969 Rural Electric Corporation and in 1975 N.T.P.C. (National Thermal Power Station and N.H.P.C. (National Hydel Power Corporation) were formed to accelerate the generation of electricity in our country (Refer web site CEA). C.E.A. (Central Electricity Authority) was established with the object of providing Techno economic assistance to the said State Electricity Boards, N.T.P.C., N.H.P.C. in the matter of setting up new power stations. Transmission Sub-Stations, lines, Grid system etc. (Refer web site CEA). In 1976 North Eastern Power Corporation was established and side by side Atomic power stations were commissioned. To use the non-conventional sources of energy Air Electricity, Solar Electricity and Cow-dung Gas Electricity came in vogue.
A picture of electricity generation, transmission systems and resultant achievements are detailed hereunder: –
| 1. | Total installed Generation Capacity:- ) | 185496.62 MW ( as on 30/11/2011 |
| 2. | Total Installed Thermal Power Capacity:- | 121805.98(65.66%)coal102863.38(55.45%).Gas:-17742.85(9.56%) oil-1199.75(0.64%) |
| 3. | Total Installed Hydro Electric Generation Capacity:- | 38748.40(20.88%) |
| Total Installed Atomic Power Generation Capacity:- | 4780.00(2.57%) | |
| Non-Conventional Electric Generation Capacity:- | 20162.24 (10.86%) | |
| 4. | % of installed capacity under State Sector:-
% of installed capacity under central Sector:- |
83605.65(45.07%)
57072.63 (30.76 %) |
| 5. | % of installed capacity under Private Sector:_ | 44818.34 (24.16%) |
| 6. | Total length of 800 KV line:- | |
| 7. | Total length of 400 KV line:- | 113092CKM(Central:-73582/State:32247/Jv&Pvt:-7263) up to Dec 2011 |
| 8. | Total length of 220 KV line:-137778 CKM (Central:-10707/State:-126644/ Jv&Pvt:-427) up to Dec 2011 | |
| 9. | Total length of 132 KV line:- | |
| 10. | Total length of 33 KV line | |
| 11. | Grid system in vogue (MW) | |
| A) Western Grid having:-58069.89 (Coal-34923.50/Gas-7903.81/Dsl-17.48/
Nuc-1840/Hyd-7447.50/Renewable-5937.60) |
||
| B) SouthernGrid having:-49399.59 (Coal-20982.50/Gas-4690.78/Dsl/939.32/
Nuc-1320/Hyd-11338.03/Renewable-10128.96) |
||
| C) Northern Grid having:-51169.06 (Coal-26932.50/Gas-4171.26/Dsl/12.99/
Nuc-1620/Hyd-14922.75/Renewable-3509) |
||
| D) Eastern Grid having:-25568.62 (Coal-21122.88/Gas-190.00/Dsl-17.20/
Nuc- 00/Hyd-3882.12/Renewable-356.42) |
||
| E) North Eastern Grid having:-2371.34(Coal-60.00/Gas-787.00/Dsl-142.74/
Nuc- 00/Hyd-1158.00/Renewable-223.60) |
||
| 12. | Variety of Sub-Station in transmission of electricity in vogue | |
| A. 800 KV Sub-Station | ||
| B. 400 KV Sub-Station:- 142772 MVA (Central Sector-71490MVA/
State Sector-70652MVA and JV/Pvt-630MVA Up To Dec 2011. |
||
| C. 220 KV Sub-Station:- 216213 MVA (Central Sector-4276MVA/
State Sector-208690MVA and JV/Pvt-1567MVA Up To Dec 2011 |
||
| D. 132 KV Sub-Station | ||
| E. 33 KV Sub-Station | ||
| F. 11 KV Distribution Sub-Station | ||
| 13. | Number of villages electrified | 548873(as on 30/11/2011) out of 593732 Village (92.4%) |
| 14. | Number of Pumps energized in agriculture sector:- | 17770741(89.7%)
Potential Energy of Pump:-19594000. |
| 15. | Average Power Load Factor | 71.58 % (4th Nov To 11th Nov 2011)
Central:-79.70%/State:-65.32/Pvt.Utl-78.43. |
| 16 | Per capita consumption of electricity has increased to 400 units:- | 779Kwh (Provisional n2009-2010) |
| Obviously, the standard of living of our countrymen has developed to a great extent with the help of electricity which needs no elaboration. | ||
| In spite of achievements cited above, there are failures also which are briefed herewith : | ||
| 1) Even after 57 years of independence, all the villages of our country in totality are not yet electrified. | ||
| 2) Only 25% houses have been electrified. | ||
| 3) Quality electricity in question of uninterrupted and abundant supply. Stable frequency and stable voltage are yet to be achieved. | ||
| 4) State electricity Boards are running with huge quantum of loss. | ||
| 5) Heavy transmission Loss. | ||