Centre Of Excellence For Power Sector Regulatory Affairs Opened at IIT Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 19 (KNN) Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal on Monday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at IIT Delhi, describing it as a key initiative to support informed and forward-looking regulation amid rapid changes in the electricity sector.

The Centre has been jointly established by IIT Delhi, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and Grid Controller of India Ltd. (Grid India) to strengthen regulatory capacity as the power sector faces rising demand, large-scale renewable energy integration, expanding power markets and increasing digitalisation.

Envisaged as a national-level hub, the CoE will focus on regulatory research, capacity building, advisory support and knowledge dissemination. 

By anchoring the Centre within a premier academic institution and linking it closely with the national regulator and system operator, the initiative brings together policy, regulation, system operations and academic research under a single framework.

The CoE will work with CERC and Grid India to identify key regulatory challenges, support human resource development, undertake cutting-edge research with global linkages, and provide analytical and advisory inputs to regulators and other stakeholders. 

Its work will address the power sector trilemma of affordability, sustainability and efficiency, while equipping policymakers with robust analytical tools to evaluate regulatory proposals.

Speaking at the inauguration, Manohar Lal said that as India moves towards clean energy, competitive markets and consumer-centric reforms, strong regulation backed by research and data is essential. He said the Centre would play an important role in supporting evidence-based policymaking.

IIT Delhi Director Prof. Rangan Banerjee said the partnership would help generate knowledge to make the electricity sector sustainable, affordable and future-ready, while strengthening regulatory institutions and sector professionals. 

CERC Chairman Jishnu Barua emphasised the need for sound analysis and long-term thinking in regulation, while Grid India CMD S.C. Saxena said the Centre would align regulatory research with operational realities of the grid.

Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal welcomed the initiative, saying it would contribute significantly to the development of India’s power sector.

(KNN Bureau)