Author: PPD Team Date: 14/04/2025
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has launched STELLAR, a fully indigenous power planning software. The tool helps in planning generation, transmission, and storage while factoring in demand response. It will be shared free of cost with all states and distribution companies (Discoms).
STELLAR stands for State of the Art Totally Indigenously Developed Resource Adequacy Model. It supports states in preparing Resource Adequacy plans as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power in June 2023.
Since the guidelines were issued, CEA has prepared Resource Adequacy plans for all Discoms, initially up to 2032 and now extended to 2034–35. A national-level plan has also been completed for the same timeline. As the plan requires annual updates, a unified tool like STELLAR was developed to help states run their own scenarios and integrate findings smoothly.
The model takes into account several operational details of the power system. These include chronological system operation, unit commitment constraints such as technical minimum, ramping limits, and up/down times. It also includes endogenous demand response and ancillary services.
Key benefits of STELLAR include ensuring optimal resource adequacy—avoiding both shortages and excess—minimising load shedding and stressed assets, and achieving least-cost outcomes. It also helps optimise system expansion, energy use, storage size and placement, and ancillary service provision.
The software was developed in India under CEA’s supervision and will be refined further based on user feedback from Discoms and load despatchers.