CEA Draft Amendment: Enhancing India’s Power Transmission Planning with Stakeholder Input and Digital Integration

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued a draft amendment to the “Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria, 2023,” inviting suggestions and comments from stakeholders and the general public. This draft amendment introduces significant updates and new procedures to ensure the efficient planning and development of the power transmission system in India. The manual, which came into effect on April 1, 2023, aims to enhance the planning process and update parameters for certain conductors. Stakeholders are requested to submit their feedback by August 16, 2024, to ensure their views are considered in the final amendment.

The draft amendment proposes the addition of Chapter 7, titled “Procedure for Planning of Electric Power Transmission System.” This chapter outlines the principles and procedures for planning the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) and Intra-State Transmission System (Intra-STS). The key principle for ISTS planning is to ensure that the system meets the requirements of the states and generators, as reflected by their General Network Access (GNA) and connectivity requests. Similarly, the Intra-STS should ensure the availability of generators and loads, matching the growth of generation and load to avoid wasteful investments.

CEA will prepare short-term plans on a rolling basis every year for up to the next five years and perspective plans every alternate year for the next ten years. These plans will be developed in consultation with various stakeholders, including CTU, STU, MNRE, RPCs, SECI, NLDC, RLDCs, and generators. The short-term and perspective plans will align with the Electricity (Transmission System Planning, Development, and Recovery of Inter-State Transmission Charges) Rules, 2021. The process for preparing these plans involves collecting data from stakeholders, analyzing it, conducting load flow studies, and preparing draft and final reports.

The Central Transmission Utility (CTU) will draw up a plan for the ISTS, identifying specific transmission projects required for the next five years. This plan will be based on the short-term and perspective plans prepared by CEA and will involve consultations with various entities, including State Transmission Utilities (STUs), Central Government, State Governments, generating companies, Regional Power Committees (RPCs), and system operators. The plan aims to ensure the transmission system is available as per stakeholders’ requirements, matching the growth of generation and load.

The draft amendment emphasizes the use of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) platform for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure projects. This digital platform will facilitate optimal route planning of transmission lines, avoiding or minimizing crossings of railways, highways, restricted areas, forests, defense areas, airports, and habitat areas. The amendment also stresses the importance of having an integrated communication plan for all planned transmission lines, ensuring safe and reliable grid operation.

Additionally, the amendment outlines the data requirements from various stakeholders for planning purposes. CEA will require data related to electricity demand, generation capacity addition, status of ongoing transmission systems, planning-related data from CTU and STUs, congestion signals from grid operators, and renewable energy potential from MNRE/SECI. The amendment also includes a detailed timeline for the planning process, ensuring timely data collection, analysis, and report preparation.

Overall, the draft amendment to the “Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria, 2023” aims to enhance the planning and development process of the power transmission system in India. By incorporating feedback from stakeholders and leveraging digital platforms like PMGS-NMP, the amendment seeks to ensure a more efficient, reliable, and integrated transmission system that meets the growing demands of the power sector.