VIJAYAWADA: All eyes are on the two-day national conference on power and renewable energy, to begin in New Delhi on Friday, as energy ministers from all States and Union Territories would participate in the programme in which the Union Power Ministry will discuss the ramifications of reneging on renewable PPAs among other things.
Union Minister of State for Power RK Singh will attend the meeting. State Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy is also scheduled to participate in the conference.
As per the agenda, besides deliberating on various initiatives including energy-efficient measures, the Union ministry will request the States that, “The PPAs should not be re-negotiated and the provisions under PPAs should be enforced in letter and spirit, and that timely payment to generators (solar/wind power) by DISCOMs should be made on First in First Out (FIFO) basis.”
It may be recalled that the State’s decision to review renewable PPAs has stirred a controversy with investors expressing concerns. While the power generators moved High Court, they were asked to raise their grievances before AP Electricity Regulatory Commission. RK Singh and his ministry had written a series of letters to the State government advising it against the decision of reviewing PPAs. In this context, the two-day conference assumes significance as the Union Power Minister is scheduled to focus on the ramifications of such moves.