Union
Minister of Power Shri Sushilkumar Shinde launched the India Smart Grid Forum, the first
initiative of its kind in the power sector, in New Delhi
today. Speaking on the occasion, he said that suddenly ‘Smart’ and ‘Intelligent’
are becoming the buzz
words for Indian Power Sector because deployment and adoption of latest
technologies will help it to leap forward into a new orbit. He said that Smart
Grid will bring the Communication, IT and Power Technologies in unison and
establish a comprehensive power infrastructure.
The
Minister said that Smart Grid envisages providing choices to each and every
customer for deciding the timing and amount of power consumption based upon the
price of the power at a particular moment of time. He said that apart from
providing choices to the consumer and motivating them to participate in the
operations of the grid, causing energy efficiency and accommodating all
generation and storage options, Smart Grid also envisages various properties
for the Grid like self-healing and adaptive islanding. This all will enable
electricity markets to flourish, Shri Shinde added.
Thanking Shri Sam Pitroda,
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and
Innovation for accepting to chair the "India Smart Grid Task Force" which
the Ministry of Power would shortly be setting up, Shri Shinde
said that under his stewardship, we wish to evolve a future roadmap for
development of Smart Grid in India aided by the most modern and latest
technologies in the field. This Task Force will be an Inter-Ministerial Group
and will serve as a focal point for activities related to the Smart Grid.
Delivering
a keynote address, Shri Sam Pitroda said that as in
IT and Telecom, India
will lead in Smart Grid technologies. Congratulating the Power Ministry on its
vision for the future he called upon various stakeholders to join hands in
overcoming the challenges to light the lamps for the billions.
Secretary,
Ministry of Power, Shri Uma Shankar
also addressed the gathering. Earlier, Shri Devendra
Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power made a presentation to explain the
concept of the Smart Grid.
“Smart
grids” are sophisticated, digitally enhanced power systems where the use of
modern communications and control technologies allows much greater robustness,
efficiency and flexibility than today’s power systems. A smart grid impacts all
the components of a power system. However, much of the smart grid focus in a
power system is at the distribution level.
One subset of smart grids is smart metering / advanced metering
infrastructure (AMI) etc. In a smart grid,
all the various nodes need to interconnect to share data as and where needed.
Power utilities around the world are adopting
smart grid technologies to make the power infrastructure robust, self healing,
adaptive, interactive and cost effective. Indian power sector has also the
opportunity to leap-frog given our limited legacy systems and the anticipated
growth in power sector and infrastructure. In view of the anticipated growth in
Indian power sector and infrastructure, there is huge potential for adopting
Smart Grid Technologies and designs in big way. For the systemic growth of the
Smart Grid in the country, India Smart Grid Forum and India Smart Grid Task
Force are being set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Power.
India Smart Grid Forum will be a non-profit
voluntary consortium of public and private stakeholders with the prime
objective of accelerating development of Smart Grid technologies in the Indian
Power Sector, whereas India Smart Grid Task Force will be an inter ministerial
group and will serve as Government’s focal point for activities related to “Smart
Grid”.
Ministry of Power (MoP)
will be the Patron of the Forum and PFC, REC will be permanent invitees and
members. Initially the Forum will be open by invitation to selected state power
utilities, private power utilities, power sector PSUs,
empanelled System Integrators, SCADA Consultants and Implementing Agencies of R-APDRP,
selected educational and research institutes, NGOs, CEA,
CERC, CPRI, FICCI and NASSCOM. Whereas the Smart Grid Task Force will be to
ensure awareness, coordination and integration of the diverse activities
related to smart Grid technologies, practices and services for Smart Grid
Research and Development, Co-ordinate and integrate other relevant inter
governmental activities, Collaborate on interoperability frame work, Review and
validate the recommendations from India Smart Grid Forum etc.
Shri Sam Pitroda, Advisor to Prime Minister on Public Information
Infrastructure and Innovation will chair the proposed Smart Grid Task Force. Nominations
from concerned Ministries namely, Home, Defence,
Communications & IT, Non Renewable Energy, Environment and Forest, Finance
etc. and organizations such as Planning Commission, Department of Science and
Technology, CERC, CEA, CPRI, BEE, NTPC,
PGCIL, BIS, PFC, REC etc. are being invited
as members of the Task Force.
PRA
Union Power Minister Launches India Smart Grid Forum 
