Bangalore smart grid project runs out of steam

BANGALORE: It might be a long wait for Bangalore’s Smart Grid project to become a reality, as it is already running three months behind schedule because of official lethargy.

On June 18, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) had planned a meeting on the project. However, it was called off due to failure to appoint consultants.

Bescom officials have ruled out the chances of having the meeting within next three months.

Sources said USAID (United States Agency for International Development), partner for the project along with the Union power ministry, was unable to decide national and international consultants for the project.

Grapevine suggests the delay is because Bescom was keen to field its few ‘chosen’ consultants. The work on the smart grid was scheduled to start by April 1.

Unconfirmed reports earlier hinted that Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and KEMA would be chosen as the ‘knowledge partners’. However, the official delay in choosing the consultants will only affect the selection of the smart grid design further, which is crucial for the project.

Some also point out that internal resistance to the technology has caused the delay. “There is much resistance in the utility itself for the adoption of the technology,” M G Prabhakar, Energy Committee Chairman, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) told Express.

The technology has the potential to bring out the inefficiency of the current situation, Prabhakar added.

Bescom MD Tushar Girinath has earlier said that the Bangalore smart grid would mainly be concentrated around a two-way communication through smart metering, which would not only control wasteful expenditure for consumers but also help utilities to plan efficient energy allocation.