Of Rocks and Hard Places

Indian debates over electricity have been strongly influenced by international experiences. This paper provides a critical overview of recent global debates on electricity restructuring. The paper first discusses the electricity price trajectories in countries that are often cited as models of reform. It then discusses several challenges to creating competitive markets in electricity. The final two sections relate international experience to the Indian context. The authors find that the full model of organised electricity markets will be extremely challenging to implement in India, and suggest a more pragmatic "no-regrets" approach. Suitably designed, competition may be one element in this approach but it is not a short-cut to larger reforms.