NEW DELHI: The five power distribution companies in Delhi have chalked out a strategy to reduce tariffs for consumers by at least 60-70 paisa per unit, reducing bills by 12% from October and sourcing up to 600 megawatt of clean power by getting rid of costly and inefficient plants.These measures will also enable the discoms to fill in the gap created by giving up costly electricity through increasing purchase from power exchanges. In a submission to the Delhi government last week for taking up the matter with the Union ministry of power, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Military Engineering Service (MES) recommended shutting down of old power plants and routing other expensive sources to needy states.“We have recommended that Rajghat and Badarpur plants be shut down and that entire allocation from Anta, Auriya and Dadri gas stations be reallocated to needy states from October 2015. Dadri plant’s thermal power should also be given to other states after summer months each year,” an executive with one of the five discoms told ET.The executive, who did not wish to be named, added, “We hope that the Delhi and central governments will put their differences aside and take this up for benefit of consumers.”Delhi’s discoms, like those of other states, have not met their renewable purchase obligations (RPO) or the minimum amount of mandatory sourcing of clean energy, as “there is no appetite to buy any more costly power, after being forced to buy expensive power from inefficient plants”, the executive said.After getting rid of the costly facilities, the discoms expect solar energy to get a fillip. They are also are willing to increase their buy of cheaper electricity from power exchanges like IEX and PXIL, from 2-5% at present to 10% or more in future.The recommendations include shutting down Delhi’s oldest 135-megawatt Rajghat Power House in October as the plant doesn’t deliver even 60% of its total generation capacity due to ageing, resulting in costly power at Rs 5.76 per unit. Similar is the case with the 285 mw Badarpur Thermal Power Station, owned by the India’s largest power generator NTPC.The reallocation of combined 207 mw of gas-based power from Dadri, Anta and Auriya plants from October has also been requested as these generate only 40% of their capacity due to non-availability of fuel. Power purchased from these also costs over Rs 4 per unit.The discoms have also recommended diversion of fuel from gas-based units of the 330 mw Pragati station to Bawana after the establishment of a 400kv interstate transmission system (ISTS), which is expected by the summer of 2017.The Bawana plant, which has a gas-based capacity of 864 mw, is able to generate less than 200 mw due to non availability of fuel. Power from this plant is also expected to be cheaper than from Pragati that costs Rs 5.36 per unit.The rate on power exchanges between April and December 2014 was recorded in the range of Rs 2.97-4.33 per unit.Delhi buys 90% of its power through long-term power purchase agreements at Rs 4.5-5 per unit, which does not allow the state to buy cheaper power from the exchanges.Private discoms BRPL, BYPL and TPDDL are struggling financially and are apparently owed Rs 27,000 crore as revenue gap.TPDDL distributes electricity in north and north-west parts of Delhi, and has 1.4 million registered consumers.BSES Rajdhani distributes power to more than 1.85 million customers in areas of south and west Delhi while BSES Yamuna has 1.35 million customers in central and east Delhi.