A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done. And Dr. Pramod Deo, Chairman, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), is a classic example of power and energy personified. After obtaining his post-graduation degree in Physics and a doctoral degree in Infrastructure Economics, he went on to do a post-doctoral research in Energy Policy and Economics. One, who, firstly by academics, and subsequently, through assignments and practice, the self assuming, Dr. Deo, who, as a mark of humility, prefers not to prefix "Dr." to his name, is a blessing to MERC who has the herculean task of streamlining the aspects that shall ensure energy efficiency and sufficiency in the power starved state. Dr. Deo is quintessentially one of the best minds in the Energy arena in the nation. Before joining MERC, Deo earned an expansive and rich experience of 30 years in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and more than 20 years of experience at both policy and project management levels in the energy sector. He had also worked in the energy sector in the Ministry of Power, Government of India; Department of Energy, Government of Maharashtra and international institutions like UNEP and AIT. Deo joined MERC as a Member on 29th April 2002. He was elevated as Chairman on 11th February 2005. He is also an Energy Economist, a factor that helps to contribute significantly to MERC's orders on utility tariffs, power from renewable sources of energy, captive power etc.

A quick thinker and a highly decisive man, he strives to find perfect solutions to problems. For example, whenever the state has faced acute power deficit, as it does even today, Deo has meticulously been handled it all. In the area of promotion of non-conventional energy generation, he had reviewed the policy and restored sales tax concessions for windmills that were discontinued incentives to investors for setting up windmills in 2002.

He strongly felt that unlike conventional energy generated from coal, oil, gas or hydro, the initial investment cost of renewable energies is quite high. On the other hand, the latter enjoys many tax and other incentives, and also have zero fuel cost, no raw materials and transportation problems, no effluence and fly ash disposal hassles, and are environment-friendly. In view of these differences, the MERC is required to adopt a different yardstick, i.e., 'cost plus return' criteria for determining the price of renewable energies. He added that Maharashtra had a technical potential for generating 3,050 MW of wind energy. Until 2002, the State had built up a wind energy capacity of 400MW, and in the past some months an additional capacity was created from out of the 750 MW capacity addition stipulated by MERC for the 10th Plan period ending in 2007. He said that time was not ripe for competitive bidding, as there were only four or five major turbine manufacturers in the field who were driving investment. Also inter-state transfer of wind energy at the present juncture did not have much scope, even though power was in the concurrent list, because related infrastructures and grids belonged to the respective state.

He clarified that the MSEB had the responsibility to take power from the windmill site where the power was actually generated. "Indeed, the turbine manufacturers have come up with a financing scheme to facilitate the establishment of the power grids and roadway connections," he said. The windmill companies could also directly supply power to even private power companies like Reliance Energy. Also investors in wind energy were entitled to get carbon credit for cashing in on the newly emerging international market. In his present capacity as Chairman of a study group appointed by the state government he prepared a report on the role of panchayats in supply of electricity to rural areas. In the Department of Energy, Government of Maharashtra, his major contribution was drafting the State Reform Bill 2000 to enable the state government to set in motion the process of unbundling the vertically integrated state monopoly (MSEB), its corporatisation and eventual privatization. During this period he also held the concurrent charge of Environment Department.

He was on foreign assignment with the UNEP Collaborating Centre on Energy and Environment (UCCEE), located in Denmark as Senior Energy Economist for five years (1993-98). On behalf of the Centre, he also worked for UNDP on the development of Global Environment Facility (GEF) capacity building proposals to equip Egypt, Jordan and Malaysia to respond effectively to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). All the energy-environment projects and climate change mitigation studies extensively covered power sector reforms, energy efficiency and conservation options. Adding to his long list of achievements and significant milestones is the fact that he is the founding Director of state and national level energy institutions, namely the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (1986-88) and the Energy Management Centre, (1989-93), set up to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency respectively.

At MERC, Dr. Deo has been responsible for a host of initiatives that have helped discipline the power arena in the state, duly ensuring a healthy poise for the institutions engaged. Over the years, Deo's passion for renewable and efficient fuel and its management have won him recognition as an expert on matters relating to energy. The outcome of this recognition are his three books that he co-authored on energy planning, energy management and regulatory practice. Dr. Deo is a proud recipient of several national and international awards, some of which are, the "World Wind Energy Award 2005" for his outstanding achievement in the dissemination of wind energy utilization and in the betterment of living conditions of rural areas through wind energy; the "DSK Energy Award" in 2002 for outstanding work done in the field of renewable energy, energy conservation, and energy efficiency. There are several Awards that have come his way, and in fact, the honor actually goes to the respective "Awards" that are conferred on him, and not to him, for the legendary place that he has carved out for himself in the domain, more like a teacher than a mere practitioner. Many would relish knowing that Dr. Deo's wife, Neelam Deo, is the Consul General of India in New York, having earlier served stints as a Joint Secretary in the MEA and as the Ambassador in Denmark, Ivory Coast and other places. A true achiever, he does not go through the beaten path but instead goes where there is no path and leaves a trail.