Energy efficiency not just about saving power but fewer outages, clear billing: CM

Panaji: Success in achieving energy efficiency will not be only about saving megawatts but about improving lives. Any technology being discussed for reliable, affordable and sustainable power supply must be which reaches small towns and villages, creates local employment, and supports livelihoods, said chief minister Pramod Sawant“Technology must translate into fewer outages, faster restoration, clear billing and predictable pricing.

Smart meters and automated distribution management systems should be tools to deliver better services. We will continue to work with regulators and technology providers to pilot innovative business models that reduce aggregate technical and commercial losses and make services more citizen-centric,” Sawant said at the 4th international conference on smart technologies for power, energy and control (STPEC-2025), organised by National Institute of Technology (NIT Goa).Over the past decade, India has achieved extraordinary progress in expanding access to electricity and integrating renewable energy. Yet the work ahead is as significant in meeting rising demand while keeping energy affordable, ensuring high quality and reliability for consumers, the CM said.“We must also invest in human capital — engineers and technicians trained in power electronics, communications, controls and data analytics — because technology without people who can operate and maintain it will not deliver results,” said Sawant.

Policy and technology must walk hand in hand with people “with training for utility staff, with consumer awareness about the benefits of time-of-use pricing and energy efficiency, and with clear regulatory frameworks that protect privacy and cybersecurity”, he said.The CM said that conferences deliberating on the future of energy efficiency in India are important because the term ‘smart technologies’ is not a mere jargon.

He said smart technologies like sensing and measurement, power processing, and control need to be combined with energy storage, electric mobility and demand-side participation, to create a grid that is resilient, efficient and responsive.Smart technologies must lead to better service, help in achieving India’s energy and climate goals, and have a strong focus on training engineers and technicians to operate and maintain advanced technologies effectively, said NIT Goa board of governors chairperson Raja Gopal Naidu.NIT Goa director Omprakash Jaiswal was also present along with academics, industry representatives, researchers, and young innovators at the four-day conference.