Power Minister makes a strong pitch for research and development in green hydrogen, smart metering, AI-based energy accounting and cybersecurity
Robust regulatory framework is the key to sustainable power sector: Shri R.K Singh
Power Minister says, “Change is coming globally and we will lead the change rather than following it”
06 AUG 2021: The Union Minister for Power and New &Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh launched “Reform and regulatory knowledge base for power sector”, an e certification program to provide regulatory training to the practitioners from diverse backgrounds, here today, through virtual mode. He also launched a Regulatory Data Dashboard which is an e-compendium of data containing State-wise details of tariff and DISCOM performance. They have been developed by IIT Kanpur.
The Regulatory Data Dashboard would assist in benchmarking the sector performance, over time and across the power sector utilities. This would help regulators and policymakers as well as the entities themselves to identify areas for improvement.
Minister of State for Power, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary Power, Shri Alok Kumar, Secretary MNRE Shri Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, senior officials from both the ministries, Chairperson and members of Central Electricity Authority, Director IIT Kanpur Shri Abhay Karandikar, representatives from states /UTs, CMDs of Power PSUs and DISCOMs, industry representatives were also present at the occasion.
Speaking at the event, the Power Minister expressed his appreciation for IIT Kanpur for the initiative. He said that India is preparing itself for the next generation by modernization, but the process of making our system sustainable is a work in progress. Challenges of energy access and supply have been resolved by establishing capacity generation making us a power surplus nation, he added.
Shri Singh further said that we have established one grid for the country and one unified market for power free from long-term PPAs. Steps are being taken to strengthening the distribution system. He suggested that let the full cost be reflected in tariff and then the elected governments can provide subsidies based on that.
He emphasized that in the power sector, the regulatory framework is the key to sustainability. Regulators exist to maintain a level playing field and at the same time to protect the rights of the consumers. He urged that there is great scope for standardization in regulatory framework by research.
Power Minster added that deliberations of IIT Kanpur with regulators and states to lay down a protocol for a forum of regulators would be of great service to the power sector. He further urged for research and development in smart metering, AI-based energy accounting and cybersecurity. AI-based energy accounting has been mandated by us, and technologies need to make sense of the big data created from it, he added.
Shri Singh further asked for research and study in green hydrogen to be incorporated in not only the Refining and the Fertiliser industries but in other industries such as steel, glass, ceramics and heavy mobility. He said that transition from fossil fuels to green hydrogen is the need of the hour and green consciousness has already emerged in the industry but technical problems need to be resolved.
He concluded by saying that it is the power sector that is leading the change by evolving and modernizing; the world is changing and we are going to lead the change rather than following it.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Power Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar said that 100 percent electrification of all the willing households has been done in the country with an average power supply of more than 22 hours in rural areas and 23 hours 36 minutes in cities.
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