Identifying and Prioritizing the Indicators of the Optimal Districting in Electricity Distribution Companies

Abstract

The quality of services in the electricity sector can bring about positive social and economic outcomes. This chapter seeks to identify and prioritize the indicators that constitute an optimal districting plan to be used by electricity distribution companies (EDCs). The districting plan is investigated in an Iranian EDC (Shiraz city) and specifically addresses the problem of demand overload, which could affect such companies’ overall service quality. To this end, primarily 29 general indicators affecting the optimal districting plan were identified using the opinions of EDC experts, who were selected through the purposive sampling method. The indicators were then screened using content validity ratio (CVR) analysis to identify the most relevant ones. Next, 10 final indicators were analyzed to determine the interrelationships among them, their types, and their overall importance. To accomplish this, the study integrated three techniques, namely interpretive structural modeling (ISM), best-worst method (BWM), and analytic network process (ANP). The findings revealed that “average registered requests” and “average demand” for electricity were the roots of the other indicators. Moreover, the most vital indicators in the optimal districting plan in the Iranian EDC under investigation were “the respective area of the district,” “medium voltage network length,” and “subscriber scattering coefficient.” In contrast, “commuting-related problems” showed the least level of importance in the optimal districting plan. The results of this chapter could shed light on a gap in the literature on EDCs, while providing empirical findings that can prove useful for EDCs’ managers and policymakers, particularly in developing countries.