As India Faces Coal Crisis, An Energy Exchange Jumps 176%

A bourse with a near monopoly in electricity trading in India is drawing attention as a severe coal crisis and the government's intent to push ahead with reforms change dynamics in the nation's power sector.

Shares of Indian Energy Exchange Ltd., whose platform is increasingly being accessed by power producers, distributors and corporates for their short-term energy needs, have soared 181% so far this year. That's the second-best performance on the S&P BSE India Power Index after Adani Transmission Ltd.

IEX's real-time market product has been a "game changer" as it allows companies to bid for their power requirements over next one hour, according to Meet Jain, an analyst with Mumbai-based LKP Securities Ltd.

This has allowed companies to take advantage of lower electricity prices than their existing long-term purchase rates, he added. "The government is in the planning stage to push for procuring 100% power via exchanges, which have more transparency and better price discovery."

For three months ended September, Indian Energy Exchange saw a 57% year-over-year rise in power trading volume with demand across market segments.