India plans to cut power bills with wider AI use in distribution networks: Power Ministry official

New Delhi : India aims to lower consumer power bills and improve energy utilisation through wider adoption of artificial intelligence across distribution networks, said Shashank Misra, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Power.

On the sidelines of the National Conference on the Use of AI/ML in the Power Distribution Sector in the national capital, Misra said that the government is pushing AI tools to help distributors detect theft-prone zones more accurately and respond faster.

“The aim is to reduce the bill of consumers and better utilise the energy,” he said, highlighting the daily usage and earth leakages inside the house.

Misra said AI-driven analytics will enable discoms to identify abnormal consumption patterns, target field inspections, and minimise technical and commercial losses, which remain a major cost burden for utilities and consumers.

He added that the ministry is exploring the use of large language models, including GPT-based systems, to support decision-making, automate workflows and strengthen real-time monitoring across the distribution sector.

“These technologies will allow us to act quicker and improve overall efficiency,” Misra said.

Speaking at the same event yesterday, energy experts highlighted that India is uniquely positioned to capitalise on its already surplus power capacity, as the rapid expansion of data centres is driving unprecedented energy demand.

According to the experts, the country has the potential to emerge as a global leader by treating electricity as a tradable commodity and demonstrating its capability to meet growing domestic and international energy needs.

Earlier this October, the government released a draft of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at making Indian industry and logistics more competitive by rationalising electricity costs and reducing hidden cross-subsidies.

The Government has stated that the bill promotes cost-reflective tariffs to ensure the sector’s financial viability, while fully protecting subsidised tariffs for farmers and low-income households.

It aims to create a future-ready electricity sector that delivers reliable, affordable, and high-quality power to every consumer: farmers and households, to shops and industries.

The Bill moves away from the old monopoly supply model and encourages a performance-driven approach, where both public and private utilities compete fairly to improve consumer service. It promotes better use of the existing electricity network with transparency and accountability so that citizens get more value for every rupee spent. (ANI)