Rethinking Utility Resource Planning in a Renewable Energy-Rich Environment – Asia Clean Energy Forum, 2020
The economics of renewable energy-based generation, coupled with innovative technologies, have been growing more favorable, primarily due to changing market fundamentals. Realizing the opportunities offered by falling renewable energy prices, power distribution utilities (DISCOMs) are rethinking how they operate. Today, DISCOMs can significantly reduce their power purchase costs, which accounts for 60-70 percent of total cost of supply. Resource planning allows DISCOMs to absorb more renewable energy into their systems, reduce the potential cost of the generation fleet, and reduce energy costs for consumers.
On June 18, 2020, Sumedh Agrawal, deputy team leader, USAID Partnership to Advance Clean Energy 2.0 Renewable Energy program led a panel discussion, “Rethinking Utility Resource Planning in a Renewable Energy-Rich Environment,” at the 2020 Asia Clean Energy Forum which is one of the leading clean energy events in Asia.
The panel discussion examines innovative energy management approaches that will improve resource planning at DISCOMs. The discussion also examines real scenarios of DISCOMs that have initiated long-term, power sector planning with high renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The panel discussion is helpful for policy makers, DISCOMs, and other energy stakeholders working to transition a fossil-fuel-based power portfolio to a renewable energy-based portfolio.
Webinar recording of this event is available here.