Energy renaissance anticipates increased training demand

Power consultants, auditors, utilities, and academic institutions unite for sustainable transformation in India’s energy sector.

In pursuing transforming India’s energy landscape with a substantial workforce mandate and a significant investment by 2032, the collaboration between power consultants, energy auditors, and utilities is paramount. These stakeholders must leverage their expertise to drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, reshaping the nation’s energy paradigm. This dynamic partnership can pave the way for a resounding energy renaissance, provided they embrace new technologies, training, and synchronised efforts while adapting to the evolving demands of the power sector. Shirish S Garud from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) discusses the scope of the energy transition.

Power consultants drive transformative change in the energy landscape

Power consultants have a major role to play in the energy transition of India. India’s plan to add 378 GW by 2027 includes renewables, thermal (coal and gas) and nuclear-based power generation. These three are different technologies and need different types of expertise. Power consultants need to focus on developing the trained personnel. Training and capacity building will be a demanding sector during this period. Our grid capacity is expected to double by 2030 and create a huge demand for skilled personnel. The expertise required is going to be radically different.

Efficiency enhancement efforts by auditors

Energy auditors must embrace new advanced technologies to improve processes and reduce consumption. The circular economy will play an important role in the future, and energy auditors will need to understand the importance of it.

Power utilities to harness workforce

Technologies such as smart metering, digitalisation of data collection and processing, predictive analysis for grid planning and forecasting, etc., will need radically different skill sets and knowledge than commonly found in utilities. Utilities need to develop skilled personnel at all levels to adopt innovations. The pace of development is going to be accelerated and to be competitive. One has to be adaptive and proactive to embrace the changes. These initiatives need to start now.

Consultants, auditors and utilities triumvirate

Apart from the triumvirate of power consultants, energy auditors and utility engineers, academic institutions like IITs and NITTs, engineering colleges, and universities must work synchronised. Continuous learning and adopting new technologies, processes, etc, would be the need of the hour. Demands for expertise in data analytics, digitisation, predictive analysis, and AI-based tools will rise fast, and at the same time, some skill sets and jobs will become redundant. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is expected to be important in upskilling the utilities task force.

Performance matrix in digitisation, data analytics, grid stability, automation and improving grid management and flexibility would be new indicators for performance assessments.

Spokesperson– Shirish S Garud, Consultant- The Energy and Resources Institute