Bhubaneswar: Shri Sudhanshu Sekhar Barpanda was sworn in as Member, Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), at a ceremony held today at 11:00 AM in the Hearing Hall of OERC, Bhubaneswar.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered in the presence of ACS Energy, E&IT, Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, senior officials of the Energy Department, Government of Odisha, and Members of the Commission.
The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission plays a pivotal role in regulating the power sector in the State, including tariff determination, licensing, consumer protection, and promoting efficiency, competition, and renewable energy integration in the electricity sector.
An electrical and electronics engineering graduate from Sambalpur University, Barpanda brings over three decades of technical and administrative experience in power system operations, tariff regulations, grid management, and clean energy integration.
Prior to his regulatory role in Odisha, he had a distinguished career at the national level. He served as a whole-time Director (Market Operation) at the Grid Controller of India Limited (formerly known as POSOCO – Power System Operation Corporation Limited) from 2020 until his superannuation in May 2024.
Before his Director-level appointment at POSOCO, he worked as an Executive Director at the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC) and had a long, impactful stint with the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), which he joined in 1995.
Throughout his career, he has been heavily involved in pioneering modern market mechanisms in India’s energy sector. He played key roles in managing complex real-time grid fluctuations, implementing security-constrained economic dispatch (which optimizes generation and saves millions in daily system costs), and establishing renewable energy management centers to safely scale clean energy forecasting.
With his vast administrative experience, Shri Barpanda’s induction as Member is expected to further strengthen the Commission’s functioning and contribute to Odisha’s power sector reforms, energy security, and consumer-centric governance in line with the vision of Viksit Odisha.
Senior officials of the Energy Department, OHPC, GRIDCO, OPTCL, OERC, and representatives from power sector utilities attended the swearing-in ceremony.