The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed setting up regional standing committees to review intrastate and interstate transmission systems. This initiative is part of an amendment to the “Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria.”
Five committees, termed “Standing Committee on Short Term and Perspective Power System Planning (SCSTPPSP),” will be established for the north, east, west, south, and northeast regions. Their responsibilities include:
- Reviewing existing and under-implementation transmission systems in the region.
- Addressing operational constraints reported by system operators.
- Assessing new interstate transmission system (ISTS) proposals and state-level submissions.
- Evaluating transmission systems for power generating stations.
The recommendations are outlined in a new chapter titled “Procedure for Planning of Electric Power Transmission System,” incorporated into the manual.
Under the amendment, the CEA will prepare short-term and perspective plans. Short-term plans will cover up to five years, updated annually, while perspective plans will cover ten years, updated every alternate year. These align with the Electricity (Transmission System Planning, Development and Recovery of Inter-State Transmission Charges) Rules, 2021.
Consultations for these plans will include stakeholders such as Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL), state transmission utilities, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), regional power committees (RPC), SECI, load dispatch centres, power generators, and others. For perspective plans, consultations will also extend to state governments and industry associations.
The manual, effective since April 1, 2023, now includes updated technical parameters for conductors. The revised edition, titled “Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria (with Amendment-I), 2025,” is available on the CEA website.