NEW DELHI: The prices of electricity in the spot market have zoomed to record highs of around Rs 6 per unit (kWh) over the last week, a reflection of the debilitating coal shortage and severe strains on the transmission interconnections between the northern and western regions.
Spot prices on the IEX, the country’s largest exchange, have shot up to over Rs 10 during peak hours, with states such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh forced to buy in the spot market to bridge the demand-supply gap.
The peaking shortage in the northern region is upwards of 4,500 MW, making up a major chunk of the overall shortage of over 7,500 MW across the country (as on August 26). The surge in prices is also a factor of continuing coa
