Assam State Electricity Board has launched a power reforms package that would be partly financed by Asian Development Bank. The multilateral funding bank would release a loan of Rs 1,200 crore for undertaking modernisation of the substation level infrastructure. It will release the first tranche of Rs 600 crore next year. ADB is in the process of appointing consultants for overseeing and advising on the modernisation process. The funding agency is surveying the various sites to identify the problem areas. 
    ASEB requires additional power generation capacity of at least 100 mw on the basis of the current demand for electricity. The state electricity board currently produces about 470 mw. The north-east, which includes Assam, is by and large a power-surplus region.