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Captive power Plants reporting has been flagged as incomplete ahead of the 603rd Operation Coordination Committee Meeting, with several states yet to submit FY 2025-26 data. The additional agenda item refers to a Ministry of Power letter that stressed the importance of captive generation data for power-system planning. The Ministry directed distribution utilities and SLDCs to collect month-wise captive generation information for April 2025 to March 2026 and send it to State Chief Electrical Inspectors by 22 May 2026. Captive power Plants also need to be onboarded on the Central Electricity Authority portal for monthly submissions from 1 April 2026. EnergylineIndia.com presents this as a planning and operational issue, not just a routine data reminder. Captive power Plants can affect demand projections, grid dependency, state-level supply assessment and reserve planning. If captive output is not captured correctly, discom demand and system planning assumptions can become weak. This update is relevant for SLDCs, discoms, regulators, large industrial consumers and planning agencies. Captive power Plants reporting also links with News on Indian power sector because it reveals the administrative discipline behind data-driven planning. The WRPC flag shows that some states still need stronger follow-up. Captive power Plants data should be submitted regularly, checked monthly and integrated into state and regional planning systems, Captive Generation, Power Data, WRPC Meeting, SLDC, CEA Data.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued one of its sharpest orders yet — telling India’s State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) that the era of “ad-hoc grid operations” is over. This isn’t a routine advisory. It’s a structural reset of how India’s grid is run. Staffing, training, grid-code alignment, and real-time discipline — all are now under scrutiny.

The Message from CERC Is Clear

SLDCs must evolve from rotational control rooms to professional, autonomous grid-management institutions. The Commission’s suo-motu order demands:

Dedicated staffing, not borrowed manpower.

Certified operators, not untrained engineers.

Modern grid codes, not outdated frameworks.

Real-time coordination, not reactive oversight.

This shift moves India’s grid operations from guidance to enforcement.

1. Stop Running SLDCs on Borrowed Staff

Many SLDCs still depend on deputed engineers with short tenures and limited system experience. CERC now directly links this practice to grid instability.

A 500+ GW grid can’t be managed on borrowed manpower — that’s the headline message.

2. Training Is Now a Legal Obligation

Grid operators must now be trained and certified, not just experienced. The RLDCs and NLDC will help with capacity building — but the onus lies with states.

“No certification → No seat on the system desk.”

Training isn’t a workshop anymore. It’s a license to operate.

3. State Codes Must Match IEGC-2023

Most state grid codes still reflect pre-2023 norms. CERC says that ends now. The IEGC-2023 introduces updated rules for:

Load forecasting

Reserve management

Outage coordination

Renewable scheduling

Frequency deviation response

If state codes remain outdated, India’s real-time grid ends up speaking two operational languages modern vs. legacy. CERC wants that fixed fast.

4. October’s Stress Test Changed Everything

The late-summer demand spike exposed coordination failures: delayed outages, late derating declarations, surplus power left unscheduled, and evening frequency dips.

CERC now demands resource adequacy plans, deficit alerts, and evidence-backed outage discipline. It’s a move from advisory tone to enforcement regime.

5. A Compliance Review With Teeth

A Single-Member Bench will review every compliance submission from SLDCs, RLDCs, and NLDC. The Bench can demand corrective action, verify implementation, and escalate non-compliance.

This is effectively the first real performance audit of SLDCs in years.

The Bigger Picture

India’s grid is now too complex to run on temporary systems and borrowed expertise. With renewable energy rising and ramping margins tightening, SLDCs are becoming the control brains of India’s energy future.

CERC expects them to act like it.

The grid cannot depend on goodwill and rotation. It must run on professionalism, autonomy, and accountability.