NEW DELHI: Observing a clear mismatch between research needs in the power sector and the efforts being made to address them, the central electricity authority (CEA) has sought suggestions from stakeholders to bridge the gap.The move comes as part of the exercise to prepare the National Electricity Plan (NEP) for the period 2027-28 to 2036-37. In a communication to the stakeholders, the CEA stated that the plan was being prepared in line with the national electricity policy, which is notified once every five years.According to officials, the CEA recently set up a panel to prepare the NEP for the next 10 years, which further constituted 11 sub-committees to examine different segments of the power sector and provide inputs. The sub-committee formed to focus on research and development noted a clear disconnect between the research requirements of the power industry and the academic research currently being undertaken by institutions.In a meeting held recently, the sub-committee, chaired by the Director General of the Central Power Research Institute and having members from academia, industry, and other institutions, underlined the need for adequate funding for breakthrough and transformative technologies. It stressed that manufacturing deliverables should be integrated with research and development activities to build end-to-end capabilities in the sector.“The objective is to strengthen collaboration between industry and research institutions, encourage greater engagement of academia with industry stakeholders, and secure industry participation in terms of resources,” the CEA said, adding that constructive proposals would be discussed at the next meeting of the sub-committee.
