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The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has launched a new software model called STELLAR on 11th April 2025. This is a completely indigenous tool developed to support electricity distribution companies (Discoms) and load despatchers in planning for resource adequacy. The launch event was led by Shri Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson of CEA, in the presence of Sh. Alok Kumar, former Secretary (Power), representatives from The Lantau Group (TLG), and various State Power Utilities. The model is being distributed free of cost to all states and Discoms. STELLAR, short for state-of-the-art Totally indigenously developed resource adequacy model, is a unique software for integrated generation, transmission, and storage expansion planning. It also includes demand response as a key feature. The model aligns with the Resource Adequacy Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power in June 2023 and will help states prepare comprehensive plans to ensure a reliable power supply. After the guidelines were introduced, CEA took the responsibility of preparing Resource Adequacy (RA) plans for all Discoms. Initially, the plans were made up to 2032, and now these have been extended to cover the period till 2034-35. A national-level exercise has also been completed for the same timeframe. Since this planning exercise needs to be updated every year, the idea of developing a common tool for everyone was taken up. STELLAR will make this process easier and bring uniformity in approach. It also allows users to explore and test different scenarios for the most optimum solutions. STELLAR covers several technical aspects such as the chronological operation of the power system, and unit commitment constraints like minimum up and down times, ramp rates, and technical minimums. It also includes endogenous demand response, ancillary services, and more. The benefits of this tool are significant. It ensures the electricity grid has the right amount of resources—neither too much nor too little—thus avoiding load shedding and unnecessarily stressed capacity. It helps in optimizing both generation expansion and system operation costs while also considering demand response and storage needs. The model has been developed completely in India under the guidance of CEA, ensuring transparency and suitability to local needs. CEA will continue to update and improve the model based on feedback from Discoms and load despatchers. The launch event also recognized the partnership between CEA, TLG, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Technical Assistance program. |
