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CEA Launches Indigenously Developed Resource Adequacy Model Tool – STELLAR

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has launched STELLAR, an indigenously developed software tool to help states prepare comprehensive, cost-effective Resource Adequacy plans aligned with national guidelines.

April 14, 2025. By Mrinmoy Dey

Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has recently launched an indigenously developed resource adequacy model (STELLAR) software tool to assist the states in carrying out a comprehensive Resource Adequacy plan in line with the resource adequacy guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power in June 2023.

The integrated generation, transmission and storage expansion planning model with demand response tool has been launched by Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in the presence of Alok Kumar, Ex-Secretary (Power) and partner TLG and various representatives from the State Power Utilities.

CEA plans to distribute this software model to all the States/ Discoms free of cost. The model explicitly considers the chronological operation of the power system. It also considers all unit commitment constraints, including technical minimum, minimum up and down times, and ramp-up/ramp-down rates. The model also takes into account endogenous demand response and ancillary services.

The tool will assist Discoms in ensuring adequate resource adequacy (neither less nor more) in the electricity grid, resulting in zero load shedding while also making sure of no stressed capacity and least cost solutions. It will also help in the optimisation of the cost of power system generation expansion and system operation while considering the benefit of demand response. Further, the tool can be beneficial to optimise energy and ancillary services and to optimise the size and location of storage.

“After the issuance of Resource Adequacy Guidelines, CEA has been carrying out the Resource Adequacy (RA) plans for all the Discoms. To begin with, CEA completed the exercise for all Discoms up to 2032, and now all of them have been updated to 2034-35. CEA has also finished the national level exercise up to 2034-35. Since the plan is dynamic and is mandated to be revised every year, it was thought to develop a common tool for all and share it with them free of cost to play with it. It will also help integrate the studies easily and bring out the optimum solutions for the country,” said the Ministry of Power in a statement.

The software has been developed entirely in India with the active guidance of CEA, ensuring complete transparency. CEA will update and upgrade this tool based on further suggestions from the Discoms/load despatchers.

Tags:

Smart Grid / T&D

Central Electricity Authority

Resource adequacy model

STELLAR software tool

Ghansyam Prasad

Resource Adequacy Guidelines

Resource Adequacy Plan