Northern Power Sector gets boost as JKPDD hosts 81st NRPC meet — ₹1,124 Cr URTDSM Project, SCADA upgrades, and ERS systems approved

SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) successfully hosted the 81st Meeting of Northern Regional Power Committee (NRPC) and 56th Meeting of the Technical Coordination Committee (TCC) at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here on 30th and 31st October 2025.

The two-day event brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), Grid India, and senior officers from all Northern Region states and Union Territories to deliberate upon critical operational, technical, and commercial matters related to the Northern Regional Grid.

On 31st October, the 81st NRPC meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) PDD, Shailendra Kumar where consensus was reached among member states on several key agenda items concerning grid management, renewable evacuation, communication system upgradation, and disaster preparedness.

One day prior to NRPC meeting, 56th TCC meeting, was held on 30th October which was led by Gurpal Singh, Managing Director, Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) where the session witnessed detailed technical deliberations on grid operation, transmission planning, renewable energy integration, and system reliability. All decisions taken on technical grounds were made before the NRPC meeting for approval.

The discussions resulted in several important recommendations and approvals. Among the key decisions recorded during the meetings, the Committee approved the implementation of Unified Real-Time Dynamic State Measurement (URTDSM) Phase-II Project through the Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM) route at a cost of Rs.1,124 crore, enabling states, including J&K, to enhance dynamic grid monitoring and system visibility.

Approval was also accorded for the replacement of SCADA systems at various substations, including Samba (J&K), under the Additional Capitalization (ADD-CAP) plan for 2024–29 at an estimated cost of Rs.15 crore, thereby strengthening real-time operational control.

The Committee further approved the procurement of four sets (60 towers) of Emergency Restoration Systems (ERS) for the Northern Region through the RTM mechanism at an estimated cost of Rs. 88 crore. In this context, the J&K delegation emphasized the strategic need for locating one of these ERS sets within the UT to facilitate rapid restoration of transmission infrastructure in its hilly and disaster-prone regions, especially in light of the flash floods of August 2025 that severely affected the 220 kV Kishenpur–Mir Bazar and Kishenpur–Ramban lines.

Additionally, the forum endorsed the replacement of five Field Optical Terminal Equipment (FOTE) units at Alusteng, Drass, Kargil, Khalasti, and Leh, which will further strengthen the communication backbone of the grid in the high-altitude areas of J&K and Ladakh.

During the meeting, the J&K delegation emphasized on timely completion of the 6 GW renewable evacuation corridor from Bikaner, Rajasthan, which is vital for fulfilling J&K’s solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

J&K officials further informed the Committee about its major ongoing reforms and initiatives, including execution of PPAs for 1,600 MW solar and 393 MW thermal capacity under the SHAKTI Policy, allocation of 1,200 MW additional power by the Ministry of Power to meet winter demand, finalization of the DPR for 1,000 MVAr capacitor banks in the Kashmir Valley, integration of SLDC with NRLDC targeted by July 2026, and implementation of 100% smart metering across the UT in mission mode.

The meetings concluded with a collective resolve among all member states and agencies to strengthen the Northern Regional Grid, improve system reliability, and accelerate the