101 - Introduction to the Indian Power Sector

Overview

A foundation course on how India’s electricity sector works: evolution, the Electricity Act 2003, key institutions, tariff setting, and real case studies with classroom simulations.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Explain the evolution of India’s power sector and key milestones
• Summarize core provisions of the Electricity Act 2003 and why they matter
• Identify central and state institutions and describe their mandates and jurisdictions
• Walk through tariff setting principles in generation, transmission, and distribution
• Interpret regulatory orders and landmark judgments and translate them into actionable insights
• Draft basic components of a tariff petition, speaking order, or stakeholder submission

Syllabus at a glance

Lesson 1. Evolution of the electricity sector in India
Lesson 2. Electricity Act 2003: objectives, scope, and structure
Lesson 3. Subordinate legislation, rules, regulations, and policies
Lesson 4. Institutional map: MoP, MNRE, CEA, CERC, SERCs, APTEL, CTU/STUs, DISCOMs
Lesson 5. Grid governance: NLDC, RLDCs, SLDCs and RPCs
Lesson 6. Tariff setting for generation: cost-plus vs competitive bidding
Lesson 7. Transmission pricing and methodology
Lesson 8. Distribution ARR, retail tariff design, and true-up processes
Lesson 9. Renewable energy tariffs, REC, RtM updates, and consumer rights rules
Lesson 10. Case studies, mock hearing, and drafting exercise