The study examines the impact of the power sector reforms on the electricity generation industry at the state level in India through a case study of the state of Gujarat. The state has been selected as a unit of study to bring out the regional variances that are not captured at a more aggregate or country level study. The study finds that the reforms have led to the emergence of various ownership structures with associated changes in fuel mix and technology. There has been a steady improvement in the efficiency of generation with reduction in carbon intensities. The carbon intensities so obtained are then used for construction of a baseline for the state, which is then projected up to the year 2010. The study reports a considerable decline in the baseline, which is expected to touch 0.18 Kg per kWh in 2010.. With the projected growth in the share of imported coal and natural gas, the dominance of domestic coal based generation is projected to decline and the state is expected to proceed along a path of declining carbon intensities.

The study traces the pattern of development of the electricity sector in India through a case study of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The main objective of the study is to assess the impact of reforms on the electricity generation industry at the state level. The state is selected as a unit of study to bring out the regional variances that may not be captured at a more aggregate or country level study. The study finds that there has been a steady improvement in the efficiency of generation from coal and gas. However, generation from clean sources like hydro has been declining. This changing generation mix has led to a steady increase in emission intensities. The carbon intensities so obtained is used for construction of a baseline for the state. The study reports an increase in the baseline intensity and explores the causes for such an increase.

This paper relates to significant medium and long-term planning for the Indian power sector. Given the very high losses, both technical as well as theft, and lack of reliable data (stemming from lack of metering for millions of pumpsets, among other reasons), the use of IT offers a significant opportunity for leapfrogging to a "smart" distribution system. Such a system might reduce losses, improve sustainability, and free up electricity for rural consumption - which today is throttled due to lack of supply. However, as the paper indicates, IT is not a silver bullet, and its optimum use requires significant analysis, consensus, and R&D.

This paper is a working draft intended to both set the stage and stimulate discussion at the upcoming EPRI workshop on Global Electrification. The workshop is part of a larger EPRI initiative entitled the "Electricity Technology Roadmap," which explores how electricity can better serve a global society undergoing different stages of economic development. The horizon for the Roadmap, and therefore the workshop, is nominally 50 years out, when global population will probably approach 9 billion people.

The paper looks at the role of energy in the lives of the poorest people in the world, and the changing pattern of energy use as economic development ensues. The data record in this regard is incomplete and often conflicting, although broad trends are discernable. The author approaches the analysis from the bottom up and the top down, using existing micro-level studies of energy use in the home, and macro-level studies of the coupling between energy use, the increasing electrification of energy, and economic development.