China NDRC to Check Power Generators for Illegal Price Discounts

China’s economic planning agency said it will carry out checks on power generators and local governments to make sure they are abiding by new rules banning the sale of electricity at discounts to high-consumption companies.

Earnings from such discounts will be confiscated and suppliers will be fined up to five times the value of the income they received from the illegal sales, the National Development and Reform Commission said on its website today.

The checks will be carried out by six government agencies including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Energy Bureau, according to the statement.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-21/china-ndrc-to-check-power-generators-for-illegal-price-discounts.html

CERC notifies new grid code to promote solar power generation

Solar energy producers will not be penalised even if they do not supply promised power to the grid. In order to further incentivise solar power generation, power sector regulator central electricity regulatory commission (CERC) on Wednesday notified new Indian electricity grid code (IEGC).

The move is aimed at insulating solar power generators from losses arising due to fluctuation in generation. Solar power generation is based on solar irradiation that fluctuates and is beyond anybody’s control, CERC secretary Alok Kumar told Financial Chronicle over phone.

Grid connected power stations are normally required to submit their schedule of power supply to state loading dispatch centers. Any shortages in supply is penalised through imposition of unscheduled inter-change (UI) charges. Solar plants have been also exempted from submitting the power supply schedule to grid as the technology is not available in India.

A CERC statement said that financial burden arising due to all fluctuation in new solar energy plants and 30 per cent variation in new wind energy plants will be borne by states.

This could, however, mean increase in electricity cost for end users. “These (solar and wind) project developers and host states will not be at disadvantage from such fluctuations,” the statement said. Under the new IEGC, CERC also tightened operational parameters for power generating stations to ensure better performance.

The control area jurisdiction in terms of load despatch centre has also been revised. Generating stations supplying to more than one states would now be in domain of regional load despatch centres, except where the host state has long term power purchase agreement of more than 50 per cent capacity.

All users of inter-state grid including distribution utilities will also be directly responsible for grid discipline and load management, in addition to state load despatch centres. Utilities have been mandated to prepare and implement automatic load management schemes from next year.
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/cerc-notifies-new-grid-code-promote-solar-power-generation-842

Invoking power Act does little for grid

The invoking of emergency powers under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003, making it mandatory for all power generators to sell their power to the state grid, has made hardly any difference to the power scenario in the state.

Confronted with the worst power crisis ever faced, the government had issued orders in this regard on April 3, after the state high court upheld its stand on exercising powers under Section 11, citing high electricity consumption in the month of April and May.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa maintained that the basic idea of invoking Section 11 was to get power generators to operate and maintain the generating stations to their maximum exportable capacity, and not just force them to compulsorily supply power to the state grid.

Yeddyurappa said the government is taking a slew of measures to mitigate power shortage, which includes maximisation of generation from various units. A senior energy department official said the government was forced to invoke Section 11 as some sugar factories and private generators were reluctant to sell power to the state at a price between Rs 3.50 and Rs 5 per unit, as they got better offers (Rs 8-12 per unit) from other states.

On the prevailing crisis, particularly in Bangalore city, Bescom managing director Tushar Girinath said, "Karnataka has experienced a reduction in power availability from its share of the central generation stations. Against an allocation of 1,500 MW daily, on an average, about 1,200 MW is being received, resulting in a shortage of 300 MW per day.'' Besides, there has been frequent tripping at Raichur and Bellary thermal plants due to extra-load factor.

He admitted that it was one of the worst crises Karnataka is facing on the power front. "We are doing all we can, but things are going beyond our reach,'' he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Invoking-power-Act-does-little-for-grid/articleshow/5771939.cms

Disaster agency to tap private generator sets for elections

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on Sunday announced plans to mobilize and use privately owned generators in every precinct cluster to ensure that power outages would not disrupt the automated elections on May 10.
An inventory of all power generators

in the country is one of the key agenda items in a meeting of council officers and regional directors in Cebu City, said Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, who is also NDCC chair.
“We will be asking our people who have generators to register them with the NDCC so we can use them during the elections,” Gonzales said.
He noted that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had already obtained backup generators for the balloting, but the NDCC saw the need to carry out parallel contingency preparations to allay fears of a failure of elections.
“We cannot afford to have a failure of election,” Gonzales said. “The government should exert all efforts to eliminate the possibility of a failure of elections.”
Critics say Gonzales and Gen. Delfin Bangit, the newly appointed chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, are behind a military plan to keep President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in office if the vote does not result in a new Chief Executive.
Gonzales and Bangit have dismissed the speculation amid concern over the purported inability of election officials to meet targets in preparations for the country’s first nationwide electronic vote.
Both Gonzales and Bangit have vowed to ensure a smooth transition of power when Ms Arroyo’s term ends on June 30.
Power deficiency
Gonzales said the NDCC was working on contingency measures to ensure that blackouts do not occur in Mindanao from May 8 to 12. One of them is to make sure that Lake Lanao is able to supply enough water for the hydropower plants during the election period, he said.
Early this month, Mindanao was placed under a state of calamity due to severe power deficiency as a result of El Niño phenomenon that continue to dry up rivers, lakes and dams.
The power shortage on the island, which is 55-percent dependent on hydropower for electricity, has resulted in eight- to 12-hour brownouts daily.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100329-261379/Disaster-agency-to-tap-private-generator-sets-for-elections

Dilapidated plant generators blamed for repeated power blackouts in Bali

Old and dilapidated generators in power plants are to blame for recurrent blackouts in Bali despite the completion of routine maintenance in Gilimanuk gas-powered electricity power plant, an official says.
The Bali branch of state electricity company PT PLN attributed decreasing power supply to technical disturbance in Gilimanuk power plant and faulty underwater transmission cables that supply power from Java's power plants to Bali.
Branch spokesperson Agung Mastika said disturbance also frequently occured in generators in Pesanggaran diesel-powered power plant in Denpasar and Pemaron gas-powered power plant in Buleleng.
"All the machines are very old, they were made in the 1970s. Although we have conducted routine maintenance, technical errors still occur, thus decreasing the power supply, and the only solution is to cut the power temporarily," he said, adding the older the machine was, the more fuel would be needed.
"A new car only needs a liter of gasoline to go 10 kilometers, while an old car needs several more liters to go through the same distance."
To supply electricity in Bali, PLN operates three power plants: Pesanggaran, Pemaron and Gilimanuk.
The Pesanggaran plant operates 15 generators with a total capacity of 182 MW, while the Pemaron plant has two machines with a capacity of 80 MW. The Gilimanuk plant in Jembrana only operates one machine with 130 MW.
With an additional 200 MW supplied from Java, the total power supply in Bali reaches 582 MW.
Mastika said the electricity usage in Bali was increasing, as indicated by the rising peak load, which has reached 515 MW.
"The old machines should be overhauled, in order to increase its capacity and reduce the risk of rotational blackouts. However, it needs a lot of money and it cannot be completed in short time."
PLN urged the provincial administration to create alternative energy sources, including by accelerating the ongoing Bali Crossing Transmission project, which could provide between 1,600 and 2,000 MW of power supply.
Mastika said that teams from his company and from the provincial administration have discussed the project and check the route. The project has been a subject of controversy since it is feared that it will disturb the ecosystem in the West Bali National Park in Jembrana.
Putu Armaya, head of Consumer Protection Foundation in Bali, said that the province should be self-reliance in providing energy.
"We cannot continue to rely on the existing supply. If the Bedugul project has been opposed and the progress of Bali Crossing project remains sluggish, then the provincial administration should find other solutions."
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/15/dilapidated-plant-generators-blamed-repeated-power-blackouts-bali.html

Brownouts in Metro Manila avoided today

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will no longer implement the one-hour rotating power interruptions in Metro Manila today, company spokesman Joe R. Zaldarriaga said this afternoon.
The brownouts have been averted after the 1,200 megawatt (MW) Ilijan plant shored in an additional 450 MW this morning and with the actual peak demand in the Luzon grid reduced by about 200 MW.

Jesusit H. Sulito, senior adviser to the president of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, said the 1,200 MW Ilijan plant of Korea Electric Power Corp. is now generating 900 MWs for the Luzon grid.

The power interruptions in the Meralco franchise area, announced earlier, were originally scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. -- Jose Bimbo F. Santos 
http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=7709

Solar Generator for Electrical Power During Power Outages and Disasters Available from MySolarBackUp.com, now Featured on TransWorldNews.com.cn

For those searching for a reliable backup system for electricity during times of power outages and natural disasters the options have been limited. Most people have depended on gas powered generators as a source for electricity when the power goes out but these can be costly as they constantly require fuel, they produce fumes and are often very loud. MySolarBackUp.com now provides a solution to the dependence on gas generators, a solar generator that is not only more reliable than the traditional generator but better for the environment as well. MySolarBackUp is currently being featured on TransWorldNews.com.cn.

The solar powered backup system offered by MySolarBackUp brings peace of mind to those living in areas prone to natural disasters and with hurricane season ready to hit now is the time to prepare for the worst case scenario. When a natural disaster strikes one of the first things to go is electricity and it can be a long time before power is restored. With a solar power generator from MySolarBackUp you can produce enough electricity to keep your home running and all that electricity is free.

This emergency backup systems provide more than just power they provide peace of mind, ensuring people that no matter how long the outage they will have a sustained source of electricity though their solar powered backup system.

Learn more about the solar powered backup system from MySolarBackUp at:

http://www.mysolarbackup.com/

View more information about MySolarBackUp on their WooEB profile at:

http://www.wooeb.com/solarbackup

As a global leader in news distribution, TransWorldNews and its affiliate sites offer companies and individuals the most comprehensive services available for news dissemination, product and service awareness, and web traffic. When businesses and individuals become featured companies through TransWorldNews or an affiliate site they are afforded exposure and advancement of their products and services to an international market.

Featured Company spots are paid for placement ads. To become a Featured Company please email twn@transworldnews.com or call 404.352.4949

About TransWorldNews™

TransWorldNews.com, owned and operated by TransWorldNews, Inc. (parent company of social and business networking community site WooEB), is a global news and press release distribution outlet that implements a number of innovative applications, initiates online partnerships and collaborates with media outlets to effectively market news releases, business profiles, analyst reports, newsletters, audio interviews, blogs while providing a platform for advertising to increase awareness for client companies.
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=212700&cat=12