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A study on time series estimates of indirect carbon emissions per unit of power consumption, and baseline emissions for power sector till 2015 is presented. The need to monitor carbon emissions arises because of Kyoto Protocol and the substantial investments its likely to generate for the Indian power sector.

Twelve different demand site management (DSM) programs, which may be applied in a number of industries in India, are evaluated with regards to economic and environmental effects, costs, and gives yearly targets from 1995 to 2010. The DSM programs are shown to reduce power demand significantly by as much as 24,616 MW and scale down electricity needs to 113 TWh by the year 2010. The program is also projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions levels to about 87.7 million tons.

India's bright economic prospects could result in a higher demand for petroleum products in the country. In this regard, energy planners should address the issue of growing demand to help the country prepare for potential petroleum shortages. Product-specific factors that affect petroleum demand and demand forecasts for specific petroleum products are generated using econometric models based on time series data.

An interruptible load management (ILM) scheme is proposed using dynamic Optimal Power Flow analysis. It enables real-time selection of interruptible loads incorporating network constraints and dynamic restriction on generation viz. ramp-rate limits. The model provides an analytical framework for addressing several important issues associated with optimal selection of load curtailment e.g. advance notification for load curtailment, short-term price discounts and long-term discounts on demand-charges, power factor of the load and customer-cost associated with the load to be curtailed, and system security. A six-bus example illustrates the proposed methodology. Keywords: Interruptible Load management, Optimal Power Flow, Discount on Spot-Price, Discount on Demand-Charge

The paper discusses the major planning issues pertaining to economic operation of power system in India viz. integrated operation of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) through formation of National Grid, optimal sharing of central sector generation by the SEBs, time-of-day pricing policy for power trading among the SEBs, optimal expansion of National Grid and streamlining the coal production and transportation for optimal system operation. A multi-area linear programming (LP) model NATGRID is developed to quantify the benefits from National Grid operation, suggest optimal sharing norms for central sector generation and formulate time-of-day pricing scheme for interutility power trading. Four interregional transmission projects are identified by exploiting the duals of the LP problem, for expansion of National Grid. The bottlenecks in coal production and transportation systems are indicated and the system cost savings from removing them are quantified. The analysis aims at encouraging and motivating the utilities to accept the idea of co-operation and making investment more cost-effective.

The paper presents an integrated framework to analyze the issues of reactive power planning alongwith reactive power pricing. The planning problem involves optimal placement and sizing of capacitors in a network such that operating and investment costs are minimum. A simple bus-wise cost-benefit analysis (CBA) scheme is proposed which Involves solving a modified optimal power flow problem (OPF) iteratively. The proposed CBA incorporates detailed hourly loading conditions at a bus and achieves a fairly accurate estimate of the benefits from capacitor placement. The formulation is directly handled by the well known MINOS code and is solved efficiently. It obviates the need to introduce Integer variables and is thus suitable for large system applications. A two-part reactive power spot-pricing scheme is formulated, by which the investment and operational costs can be recovered by the utility. The proposed reactive power price has two parts - a fixed part to account for the investment costs of new capacitor at a bus and a variable spot price to account for the operating costs incurred In supplying the additional reactive power from generating units.

The paper presents an integrated approach to least-cost generating unit maintenance scheduling for interconnected power systems. A Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) Model is developed which analyses the fuel supply decisions, generation and maintenance scheduling decisions as well as inter-utility transfer schedules in a comprehensive way. The method is applied to two interconnected Indian utilties. Firstly, the impact of fuel supply constraints and hydro energy availability on maintenance schedule has been examined for one utility. The analysis has further been extended to develop a centralized maintenance plan for both the utilities incorporating inter-utility transfer decisions. Studies reveal that interconnected mode of operation can lead to substantial changes in fuel supply decisions and the overall system operating costs are significantly reduced.

Gender issues have received scant attention from energy policymakers at the macro level. Women's needs for energy vary depending on their income level, their location and their economic activities. These are salient issues that policymakers must consider when planning policies for energy investment, imports and pricing.

This paper proposes simultaneous integration of DSM options in a multiobjective framework (using compromise programming technique) for electric utility planning. The two distinct advantages of this method are: (i) explicit consideration of all associated benefits of DSM options viz. cost reduction, emissions reduction and improvement of supply system reliability (ii) consideration of the integration method specific characteristics of various types of DSM options depending upon the control of utility on their usage. The methodology is applied for an Indian utility (Maharashtra State Electricity System (MSES)) for its integrated resource planning for the period 1990-2000 to illustrate the methodological issues. Various methodological issues related to the specific nature of DSM options and multiobjective framework are discussed in the context of MSES. Keywords: Demand Side Management, Operational Planning, Compromise Programming

The operations of the transport and industry sectors in India are currently dependent on diesel and fuel oil. This dependence can be lessened by substituting indigenously-available natural gas for the two fuels. Compressed natural gas can be substituted for diesel while natural gas can be used instead of fuel oil. However, substitution would require planning in order to make a realistic evaluation of costs to both the country and users.

The recommendations of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, convened at the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, do not sufficiently take into account the rising energy needs of the developing, Southern countries. The North bears the greatest responsibility for the present emission and historical accumulation of carbon dioxide. A system of tradeable emission quotas allowing the North to buy pollution rights from the South would provide a market incentive for cleaner technologies. It would also provide economic assistance to the South based on trade, not charity. A simple carbon tax in the North would not.

Women play a crucial role in many activities essential for coping with climate change. Indian women appear to be more vulnerable than men to differential impacts of climate change because they share most of the household managing responsibilities but have limited access to participation in decision making and governance. Most of the policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation do not specifically address the vulnerability of women. The National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), formulated to shape future discourse of climate change adaptation and development, recognizes the differential impacts of climate change on society, but incorporates merely a few gender specific measures. The paper suggests gender specific measures for each mission of the NAPCC to make the adaptation and development process more inclusive and sustainable in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the quantification of exposures to respirable particulate matter from biomass-fuel combustion in several rural homes in Tamil Nadu, India. Profile of study population; Respirable particulate measurements; Exposure profile; Correlation among 24-hour exposures, personal exposures while cooking and area concentrations.