The Regional Conference for the Northern Region States/ Union Territories (UTs) was held in Chandigarh under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs.
The Ministry of Power has urged states to resolve intra-state transmission issues, adopt renewable energy with storage solutions and comply with renewable purchase obligation guidelines, alongside implementing cybersecurity measures and islanding schemes for grid resilience. On distribution reforms, the ministry has set deadlines for smart meter installation by August 2025 for government establishments and November 2025 for commercial/industrial consumers. The ministry also stressed the need for cost-reflective tariffs, clearance of subsidy dues, and use of artificial intelligence / machine learning tools for smart meter analytics.
