Chandigarh Power Upgrade Plan Aims to Cut Outages, Improve Equity
The city’s private electricity distributor has announced a ₹956 crore investment over five years to overhaul its infrastructure in a move aimed at modernising Chandigarh’s ageing power grid and enhancing energy resilience. The plan, which includes the installation of smart meters, underground cabling, and automation technologies, comes just after the firm petitioned for a tariff hike. Over half of the city’s current power systems have outlived their lifespan, raising serious concerns over frequent outages, inefficient energy delivery, and safety risks for both residents and grid workers.
Officials said the new investment seeks to eliminate system failures and ensure seamless supply through a phased replacement of outdated equipment. The company’s proposal, now awaiting approval from the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, includes major capital expenditure on transformers, safety systems, and grid digitisation. With the city pushing towards climate-resilient infrastructure, the move is being viewed as a crucial step towards creating a more equitable, efficient, and eco-friendly energy distribution model. Experts believe these upgrades could improve not only reliability but also the city’s readiness for renewable integration in the near future. A significant focus of the upgrade is the replacement of conventional meters with smart systems that will allow real-time consumption tracking and fault detection. The digitisation process is expected to reduce human intervention, improve billing accuracy, and reduce distribution losses.
Experts say such interventions will support better energy demand management, a key factor as cities scale up electric vehicle infrastructure and rooftop solar systems. Additionally, underground cabling will minimise disruption during storms or heavy rains—challenges that are increasing with climate volatility—while reducing the risk of electrocution in urban neighbourhoods. The proposed project also involves setting up dedicated customer service centres to improve consumer engagement and accountability. In tandem, the distributor has launched a Know Your Customer (KYC) update campaign to ensure residents receive real-time alerts and service updates via SMS and email. Officials say this outreach is essential for maintaining transparency, enabling faster grievance redressal, and building trust in privatised public utilities.
Such efforts aim to bridge the digital divide and ensure all consumers, including those in low-income areas, are informed and empowered. While consumer watchdogs remain cautious about any tariff increase amid inflationary pressures, officials argue that the tariff revision is necessary to fund infrastructure renewal and maintain service quality. The shift towards digitisation, automation, and clean energy compatibility signals an important transition for Chandigarh’s power system—one that aligns with national goals for sustainable, zero-carbon urban development. Ultimately, residents stand to gain from more reliable power access, safer infrastructure, and better integration with the city’s long-term smart city plans.
