CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) bagged the top award among discoms for innovation at the National Conference on Utilization of AI and Machine Learning in the Power Distribution Sector held by the Ministry of Power, Power Finance Corporation and REC Limited in New Delhi on Saturday.
The award recognizes TNPDCL's innovations in data drives such as advanced smart meter analytics for revenue protection, the release said.
talk to TNIEByron Stephen, executive engineer (smart metering) at TNPDCL, said the recognition reflects the company's continued drive towards digital transformation. “Our use of advanced data analytics to improve billing accuracy and revenue collection played a key role in winning this award,” he said.
A total of 195 nominations were received in response to the conference's call for innovation, of which 51 were shortlisted for further evaluation, according to the release. In the discom category, TNPDCL bagged the top award followed by MP East from Madhya Pradesh.
“We have installed 130,000 smart meters in Chennai's T Nagar. While many states primarily use smart meters for billing, TNPDCL is the only power utility that is using data analytics to further expand its usage,” he claimed.
Emphasizing the role of AI in day-to-day operations, Stephen said, “This will enable automatic disconnection and reconnection of smart meters, ensuring faster revenue collection and increased consumer satisfaction.”
