Chennai floods - lessons for Power Utility engineers and Decision makers

Chennai floods has seen new 'levels' with the water discharge from some of the lakes exceeding 30000 Cusecs. And to see that more than 35 lakes were overflowing adds another dimension to the possible raise of water levels in the city low lying areas.

So some of the key take away for me from this disaster are:

1. De link the city's distribution and hand it over to a separate company. It can be private or public sector owned. But it cannot be a block of a monolith like what the current situation is in Tamilnadu ~ combined with Generation company. Such a combination obfuscates the finances. 
2. Since infrastructure development requires huge funding, it is essential that this is addressed first. Form  a company and transfer the assets of city distribution to it; if there are generation companies near transfer to a subsidiary of this distribution company and have a separate balance sheet.
3. This will facilitate accountability and enable the regulator to fix appropriate tariff to recover the costs and facilitate the huge investments needed to upgrade and maintain the systems.
4. Identify the flood levels of each area and make sure that the substation is above this level.
5. It is time we up graded the substations. Given the significant softening of prices for Gas Insulated substations(GIS) it is time to replace all existing Air Insulated substation in the city and outskirts to GIS. This would also release significant land mass which can be monetized. 
6. If the existing substations are in low lying areas, relocate them at elevated ground or raise the FGL. In case of GIS substations the switchgear and all auxillary support such as DC supply, control and protection, ventilation and air condition systems shall be located at Ground plus 3 M elevation.
7. Any substation which has is more than 30 years old has to be dismantled and reconstructed taking in the new realities and must be and must be GIS.
8. Raise all LT Feeder Pillar boxes bottom to above 1.5 meter with respect to road levels as has been done for the ring main units.
9. Replace the existing feeder distribution arrangement of fuses to appropriate switching devises.

All these require investments and cooperation from the citizens. From the public point of view the key points are:

1. If Feeder Pillar  boxes are improved and switching devices are provided I am sure pilferage may happen. This has to be stopped by public action.
2. Feeder pillar boxes has to be  maintained well. Currently they are used by public as a convenient spot to urinate. This has to change. Public should raise their voice at such miscreants.

For fund raising we can opt for the old electricity act provision of introducing a surcharge for city distribution. This would show a recovery mechanism and funding agencies would look at it positively.

These are some suggestions. There are many more. But what needs to be done is definitive action; instead of forgetting the entire disaster and talking about heroics  or talking politics and blaming each other.

Electricity Act and TNEB's Double Speak

TNEB has been postponing the trifurcation of itself to fall in line with the central laws enacted as early as 2003. The models which were tried out immediately after the enactment of the Electricity act, had each its own advantages and drawbacks. It was prudent on the part of TNEB not to jump in to splitting itself immediately after the demand came. It was strategically correct to study the effects of the models, the benefits or otherwise of each of the models.

Having studied the model, postponing the splitting on political grounds is also acceptable for a couple of times. But to repeatedly do so is not conforming to the Centre - State spirit envisaged in the constitution. TNEB is much different from the other electricity boards. The act was not intended for efficient boards like TNEB; but the act was also enacted to corporatise the functioning of the Utility so as to make it independent of the state's budgetary support.

Another major purpose of the act is to bring in more transparency to its own functioning. It would bring in the elements in the system which is generating surpluses together with the sinks, which drain out more than these surpluses. It would have brought in more closer management attention as each of three major functions of the utility, Generation, Transmission and Distribution would get its own top management team who will not act on its own priority instead of having to be dependant on a super team!.

TNEBs maximum demand is nearing 10000 MW and its generation is slated to take a quantum leap in the years to come. As an integrated utility its contribution to the renewable sector is laudable. It has used its Hydro power effectively to remove the "Infirm" attributes of wind power and leverage its integral strength to allow these small generators to bank and wheel, effectively providing the much needed incentives to channelise investment. Here again it needs to do more now. We are now facing funds constraint to provide additional evacuation lines, up gradation/ enhancement of capacity of lines which will take the renewable generation to the next levels.

It is not automating its operations and is now lagging other electricity boards in this segment. It has to substantially enhance its Transmission Line grid and become independent of PGCIL by having its own 400 KV network. Other electricity boards have started planning 765 KV grid and TNEB is still comfortable with its 220 KV grid!

On the distribution front, capacity enhancement by way of implementing UG (under Ground)cabling, GIS (Gas Insulated Substations) substations and Distribution automation are the need of the hour.

TNEB always had a pride of place in the national electricity grid and its operations. Over the years it had to bear the ill effects of excessive political intervention, but has managed to still hang in there.

It may not be able to do so, if it does not quickly change its attitude now. May be a firm push from the Central ministry is the need of the hour to save the board.