Centre's Power Punch To Make Gurgaon Smarter

Gurgaon may not be one of the cities to be developed under the Centre's Smart Cities Mission, but the Millennium City nonetheless has the Union government's full attention. This is evident from the fact that the Centre is going to assist the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government in making Gurgaon the first city in India to have a smart power grid. If all goes as planned, Gurgaon will become blackout-free within 18 months.

For a city where traffic jams and frequent power outages are some of the major complaints among residents, this comes as a piece of great news. Not only will it sort the pet peeve of the current residents, but it will also make property in Gurgaon attractive for prospective home buyers. 

The Piyush Goyal-led Union Power Ministry will provide Haryana Rs 237 crore of the Rs 1,382 crore needed to complete the first phase of the smart grid project. A similar amount would be spent from the state kitty, while the Power System Development Fund would provide the rest of the money. Bids for the project would be opened by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PowerGrid) on July 22.

What is a smart power grid?

A smart power grid mixes solar and wind energy with the traditional methods of power generation. The PowerGrid website describes a smart grid as a system that “facilitates efficient and reliable end-to-end intelligent two-way delivery system through integration of renewable energy sources, smart transmission and distribution”. Apart from that, it also "enables real-time monitoring and control of the power system, demand response and demand-side management, power quality management, outage management, and smart home energy system, apart from helping reduce aggregate technical and commercial losses”.

What is the plan?

To be built in three phrases, the smart grid would provide Gurgaon residents an uninterrupted power supply by making them stakeholders in the overall supply chain. Users with solar panels on their rooftops will supply excess power to the grid and they will get it back when they need it. The smart grid will also enable them to use appliances that need more electricity during off-peak hours.

Also, by making power distribution a two-way process, the city administration will achieve more than just an uninterrupted power supply. When consumers are part of the power supply process, their accountability increases. From simply being complaint lodgers, they will accountable for those very problems. We must remember that the consumer is the king and without his full involvement, systems would not function and achieve the success they are expected to.

How will this help real estate in Gurgaon?

Meeting the electricity demand for the city's commercial set-ups is a challenging task for authorities. The use of generators by these commercial set-ups adds up to the woes by deteriorating the city's environment. An uninterrupted power supply will take care of both the problems. A cleaner Gurgaon with well-lit malls will only add to the charm of the city's property market. It is to be noted that real estate in Gurgaon has been among the worst-hit by a recent slump that has plagued the property markets across the country. And, a smart power distribution, among other things, will spring the city back on its feet.

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