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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

Integrated operation of regional grids, enhanced thermal efficiency of coal utilizing power station and substituted coal fuelled generation of electricity with gas fuelled electricity production reduce CO2 emission from power stations in Northern, Western and Southern regions of India. A non-linear optimization model simulates interdependent activities of the three regional grids of the Indian power system. The model provides details of individual plants, and demonstrates the manner in which optimal operation of the three regional grids effect lower fuel costs and reduce CO2 emission.

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.

Byline: Sudhakar Yedla, Jyoti K. Parikh Economic activity uses resources, which leads to waste generation. With rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, per capita solid waste generation has increased considerably. Solid waste generation data for last two decades shows an alarming increase. Owing to its improper and untimely collection, the transport and disposal of municipal solid waste poses a severe threat to various components of the environment and also to public health. This paper describes the merits and demerits of various technological aspects of solid waste management. Landfill technology, as it is the most widely employed and is regarded as the most suitable and simple mechanism, especially for tropical countries such as India, is emphasised. All possible costs and benefits and externalities are examined. A cost-benefit analysis of a landfill system with gas recovery (LFSGR) has been carried out for Mumbai city's solid waste, accounting for certain external costs and benefits, and found that it could make a huge difference of savings of about Rs. 6.366 billion (approx. $0.l40 billion) per annum with reference to the existing system of waste disposal.

Byline: Sudhakar Yedla, Jyoti K. Parikh, Ram M. Shrestha This paper assesses CO2 mitigation strategies in Delhi and Mumbai against the dynamics of local pollutants. After testing against techno-economic feasibility, compressed natural gas (CNG) technology, four-stroke two-wheelers and battery-operated vehicles (BOV) were selected as candidate options for Mumbai and Delhi. Multiple constrained optimisation for finding out the optimal mix of vehicles to meet the travel demand under the business-as-usual scenario for the period of CO2 mitigation targets of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25% resulted in reduced stock of diesel and petrol vehicles, with the reduction spanning over different points of the above time period. In the case of Mumbai, battery-operated three-wheelers dominated the vehicular mix, with the share of CNG vehicles remaining at a standard level. CO2 reduction targets did not influence the CNG option significantly. CO2 mitigation influenced the dynamics of local pollutants considerably in both Delhi and Mumbai. In Delhi, TSP and SOx reduction levels against the CO2 mitigation target were found to be significant. In Mumbai, the percentage reduction in local pollution (TSP in particular) was higher than the target CO2 reduction. Local pollutants other than TSP and SOx showed an increasing trend against the CO2 mitigation strategies in Delhi. In the case of Mumbai, all non-target pollutants showed a falling trend against the CO2 mitigation strategies, though insignificantly for pollutants other than TSP and SOx.

Byline: Jyoti K. Parikh, Nandini Hadker Urban air pollution is on the rise in many cities of the world. There are associated health impacts that affect urban residents, especially the poor. By doing economic valuation, it is possible to draw the attention of citizens, policy-makers and, of course, researchers to the extent of damage and the value of it. In this paper, such a valuation is done using time-series data for the suburb of Mumbai called Chembur and cross-sectional data for several wards. We value mortality and morbidity from air pollution using the above data. It is shown that the pollution in Mumbai can lead to high health costs. In general the average cost amounts 0.26% of income due to highly subsidised treatment and poverty. However, 5% of patients who suffer severe attacks may pay as much as much as 19% of their income. Workdays lost are of equal importance to health expenditures. Distributional aspects of the damage are such that children and senior citizens are affected most.

Byline: Jyoti Parikh Environmental resources provide life support and livelihood to the poor. Degradation of the environment, whether caused by rich or poor, affects the poor the most. Today we have different levels of societies, viz., tribal and traditional, rural and agrarian and urban, each of which relates to the environment differently. The environment provides basic necessities such as water, fuel, food materials and other resources. Human development indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality depend on environmental indicators such as access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Environmentally friendly economic growth and industrialisation are emphasised in modern societies now. East Asian experience may be different from the European experience of the past. Alleviation of poverty is essential for the sustainability of the global environment.

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.