USAID’s SAREP organises a Round Table Consultation on Capacity Gap Assessment of STUs
A Round Table Consultation on Capacity Gap Assessment of STUs was organised by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) Program on March 14, 2023 at Le Meridian, New Delhi.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) Program had conducted a gap assessment for state transmission utilities. The study identifies gaps and provides recommendations to strengthen the planning and operational capability of State Transmission Utilities (STUs).
SAREP aims to present the findings of the assessment to key stakeholders and seek their feedback through this round table consultation which included participation of key stakeholders to discuss the current issues and review the findings on STU gap assessment and deliberate on the recommendations to modernize STUs.
The gap assessment of STU’s was executed on three main themes of Infrastructure, Technology and Operations, Tools and Techniques and Policy and Regulations, Institutional Capacity and Human Capacity. The round table saw active participation of 24 participants, (21 in person and 3 joined virtually). The participation included Ms Monali Hazra from USAID, Sh Ashok Rajput (Member Power System CEA), Sh R.N. Nayak (Ex CMD PGCIL and adviser to SAREP), Sh S.K. Soonee (Ex CEO POSOCO and advisor to SAREP), PRDC team, dignitaries various state transmission utilities. Further dignitaries from central transmission utility and RTI team also participated.
Monali Zeya-Hazra Regional Energy & Clean Energy Specialist Indo Pacific Office, USAID/India speaking on the occasion said, “USAID through its SAREP program, a bilateral initiative with the Ministry of Power, aims to support modernization of transmission utilities through a detailed assessment which will be followed by development of roadmap. Through SAREP, USAID will also support implementation of the identified interventions in four states”.
R.N. Nayak, Senior Advisor, SAREP, and former CMD, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, said, “We are witnessing a historic change which is fast paced, and the use of solar, wind and RE resources have improved drastically”.
Ashok Rajput, Member – Power System, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, Chief Guest at the event said, “Advanced dynamic planning, improved forecasting, tariff based competitive bidding, innovative technology, data management and documentation are some of the key prerequisites for improving State Transmission Utilities (STUs)”, in his keynote address.
The round table was conducted using three main themes of Infrastructure, Technology and Operations, Tools and Techniques and Policy and Regulations, Institutional Capacity and Human Capacity. Officials from CEA, MoP, State Transmission Utilities, experts from the industry took part in the round table. The inputs received from the consultation will be used to finalize the report and develop a roadmap, which SAREP aims to implement in select STUs.
