

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) on Wednesday held discussions with experts from IIT Madras on strengthening the state’s power grid and ensuring the smooth integration of increasing wind and solar power generation.
The meeting, chaired by Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar, was convened following directions issued by CM C Joseph Vijay during a review meeting of the Energy Department at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
During the discussions, officials and experts focused on maintaining grid stability during periods of high renewable energy generation, balancing power demand and supply, improving the flexibility of thermal power stations, and enhancing the accuracy of power generation forecasts.
The participants also explored the use of advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, advanced data analytics, Battery Energy Storage Systems, and modern grid management solutions to increase the share of renewable energy in the state’s power mix.
Addressing the meeting, Nirmal Kumar stressed the importance of creating a climate-resilient power infrastructure and directed officials and experts to submit recommendations for ensuring uninterrupted and reliable power supply across Tamil Nadu.
It was also decided to constitute an Integrated Committee comprising members of the IIT Madras expert group and the TNEB Research and Development team. Joint MD (finance) IS Mercy Ramya will coordinate the committee.
TNEB chairman J Radhakrishnan, Energy Department Principal Secretary Anil Meshram and senior officials participated in the meeting.