Lok Sabha Question No. 2061 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-09
Subject: Use of IT in Electricity Distribution
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Arvind Dharmapuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2061

## ANSWERED ON 09.12.2021

## USE OF IT IN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION

2061.  SHRI ARVIND DHARMAPURI:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering to leverage Information Technology (IT) to minimize pilferage of electricity distribution;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is conducting anyworkshops on use of IT to minimise electricity pilferage; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI  R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : IT  enablement  of  the  Distribution  sector  has  remained  one  of  the  major thrust areas under various centrally sponsored schemes. IT enablement was taken up in  1260  towns  under  R-APDRP,  Part-A.  Further,  to  expand  the coverage  of  IT enablement of distribution business to non-RAPDRP areas, based on the DPRs received from States/Utilities, Ministry of Power approved IT enablement of an additional 1651 towns under IPDS (IT Phase II). The implementation of IT Phase II works in these towns has  been  taken  up  with  an  objective  to  enable  Discoms  to  improve  consumer satisfaction,  monitoring,  carryout  effective  energy  accounting  and  auditing  based  on use of IT enabled System.

Further,  the  Government  of  India  have  recently  launched  a  Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme which provides financial assistance to Distribution Utilities linked to reforms and improvement of performance.  The scheme envisages following Information Technology (IT) interventions to facilitate AT&C losses reduction:

- (i) Smart Metering:

Smart Metering of Consumers and System Metering (i.e. metering of Feeders and Distribution Transformers) is one of the major components under the scheme to facilitate automatic measurement of energy flows and energy accounting as well as auditing without any human intervention.  The scheme envisages that along with  installation  of  prepaid  Smart  Metering  and  the  associated  Advanced Metering  Infrastructure  (AMI),  installation  of  communicable  System  meters  at Feeder and Distribution Transformer level will enable proper energy accounting for identification of theft prone pockets and high loss areas.

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## (ii) Advanced ICT including AI and ML based solutions:

The scheme envisages leveraging Artificial Intelligence to analyse data generated through IT/OT devices including System Meters, prepaid Smart meters to prepare actionable MIS from system generated energy accounting reports so as  to  enable  the  DISCOMs  take  informed  decisions  on  loss  reduction,  demand forecasting,  asset  management,  consumer  analytics  and  for  other  predictive analysis.

- (iii) Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Distribution Management System (DMS) in urban areas.

(c) & (d) : Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has recently notified the Conduct of  Energy  Audit  in  Distribution  Companies  Regulations,  2021,  which  entail  a progressive move towards IT enabled Energy Accounting methodology. To sensitize DISCOM  officials  about  annual  energy  audit  and  periodic  energy  accounting  in Electricity Distribution regulations, BEE  has undertaken webinars and also organized a Workshop on 6th December, 2021.

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