Electricity sector: Cabinet okays India-US MoU

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) proposal for entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the US for exchange of information and experiences in the electricity sector.

The MoU will help in improving regulatory and policy framework for developing efficient wholesale power market and enhancing grid reliability, an official release said. The activities to be carried out under the MoU include identification of energy-related issues and develop topics and possible agendas for the exchange of information and regulatory practices in areas of mutual interest; organise visits by Commissioners and/or staff to participate in activities at each other’s facilities.

North East Power System

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) at an estimated cost of ₹6,700 crore.

This is a major step towards economic development of North-Eastern region, an official release said.

The scheme is being implemented through ‘Powergrid’, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Power in association with six beneficiary North Eastern States namely, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, and is targetted to be commissioned by December 2021.

After commissioning, the project will be owned and maintained by the respective North Eastern State Utilities.

The main objective of the project is government commitment for the total economic development of North Eastern Region and to strengthen the Intra-State Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure in the North East Region.

Benefits

Implementation of this scheme will create a reliable power grid and improve NER States’ connectivity to the upcoming load centers, and thus extend the benefits of the grid connected power to all categories of consumersof beneficiaries in North Eastern Region, the release added.

The scheme would also increase the per capita power consumption of these States, and contribute to the total economic development of the North-Eastern Region.

Implementing agencies are hiring a considerable number of local manpower during their construction works, generating a lot of employment for skilled and unskilled manpower of North-Eastern Region.

Job opportunities

Further, after completion, additional manpower will be required for operation and maintenance of these newly created assets as per standard norms, generating considerable additional employment opportunities for North Eastern Region States, the release added.