The success of AI in the power sector will be measured by the improvement it delivers on the ground and not by the sophistication of its algorithm, according to Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy.
He was recently addressing the valedictory session of the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) two-day international conference-cum-exhibition, “Making Indian Power Sector AI Enabled”, at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
The conference was held on CEA’s 53rd Foundation Day, with FICCI as programme partner and CBIP as support partner. It brought together policymakers, regulators, utilities, industry leaders, academia and technology experts to discuss how AI can be used across India’s power sector.
Convergence of engineering and AI
Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, said the conference marked a convergence of power system engineering and artificial intelligence. He said India had achieved 50 per cent non-fossil installed capacity in June 2025, five years ahead of its 2030 commitment, and the next challenge is to manage this growing and complex system with greater intelligence. “We must move from building a larger power system to building a smarter, more responsive and resilient power system,” he said. He asked whether AI can predict equipment failure, forecast solar and wind generation more accurately, help discoms cut losses and restore supply faster, and use every unit of clean energy efficiently. “Innovation must go hand in hand with security, accountability and human oversight,” he added, calling for solutions that are affordable, replicable and scalable across states and discoms. He urged CEA to carry the momentum forward through measurable pilot projects, common technical frameworks and sharing of successful practices, and said India can develop AI applications for its own needs and offer scalable solutions to the world. “Technology becomes meaningful only when it improves the lives of the people,” he said, describing the conference as “the beginning of sustained action” for a future-ready energy system for Viksit Bharat 2047.
Reliable, responsible
Chairperson, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Jishnu Barua, said the real test of AI will be the ability to deploy it reliably and responsibly, and cautioned against uncritical acceptance of AI outputs because of hallucination and algorithmic bias. He said India’s data-centre capacity has grown to nearly 15 GW, and the Ministry of Power estimates that AI, including data centres, could add 26.5 GW of new demand by 2031-32. He stressed data sovereignty and careful planning of the water and energy footprint of data centres.
New launches by CEA
Chairperson, CEA, Ghanshyam Prasad, thanked all stakeholders and said the two days had brought experts together on a single platform. He recalled the launches made at the inaugural session on Wednesday, including the cross-border electricity trade portal, the distribution-sector digitalisation report and the revised transmission planning criteria.”
During the session, the Minister launched four documents and tools. The new CEA website, developed in-house, offers site-wide search across thousands of documents and reports, analytical charts on capacity and power supply position, and reports organised by functional domain. The India Fly Ash Yearbook 2026 covers 196 thermal power plants producing around 90 per cent of the country’s fly ash. The Compendium of Central Rules framed under the Electricity Act, 2003 consolidates all rules notified by the Ministry, including amendments up to 31 July 2026, in a single reference, with a soft copy on the CEA website. The Automated Monthly Power Market Monitoring Report draws data directly through APIs, so the report can be generated at the click of a button within days of month-end, in customised periods and formats, covering power exchanges, OTC platforms, derivatives and futures.