New Delhi, Dec 15 (NationPress) The Ministry of Power is proactively collaborating with international governments and industry leaders to seek global partnerships in the domains of power generation, transmission, and distribution, as revealed during a parliamentary session on Monday.

In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik mentioned that multilateral collaborations have been pursued under the auspices of G20, BRICS, Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), International Solar Alliance (ISA), and more.

Additionally, the ministry is enhancing regional cooperation in the power sector through platforms like SCO, SASEC, SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative.

Furthermore, public sector enterprises (PSUs) such as NTPC, NHPC, and Power Grid operate commercial agreements with foreign entities based on their operational needs.

The minister elaborated that the government has initiated extensive reforms aimed at modernizing the power sector, enhancing service delivery, reinforcing governance, and achieving technological advancements along with operational improvements while promoting digitalization, green energy integration, and innovation.

For example, the Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules have been established to ensure timely payments from utilities, along with a structured framework for settling past dues.

The Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules facilitate Green Open Access for consumers with loads exceeding 100 kW, offering time-bound approvals and fair charges.

Moreover, regulations for renewable consumption obligations, waivers on inter-state transmission charges, and energy storage deployment have been introduced to support renewable energy integration.

To further boost the power sector, significant infrastructure projects are underway, including smart metering initiatives estimated at Rs 2,83,525 crore, with a Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 1,21,637 crore approved by the Centre under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Through the RDSS scheme, the installation of smart meters is encouraged, which allows for automated energy accounting, real-time monitoring, improved billing accuracy, and minimized commercial losses, according to the minister.

Moreover, the development and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions are supported under the RDSS for purposes such as demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, asset management, and consumer analytics via initiatives like Powerthon, the minister added.