BENGALURU: The last date to raise objections to the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is now slated for November 30.
One of the proposals by the Ministry of Power is to provide open access network to other distribution licensees in their areas of supply by paying wheeling charge.
Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) is holding a public hearing on November 13, seeking suggestions on the proposal made by Electricity Supply Corporations Limited (ESCOMs) for levying surcharge on open access consumers.
The Ministry has proposed to exempt distribution licensees from the present binding of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) to supply electricity to all consumers, including those eligible for open access (above 1MW). This is aimed to ensure uninterrupted power supply. State Electricity Regulatory Commissions may designate one of the licensees to supply power at a premium over the cost of supply, if other arrangements fail.
A senior energy department official said that as open access power generation has gained popularity any amendments will only make matters complicated, especially when the state is implementing Gruha Jyothi scheme.
Experts have also raised objections to the proposed amendment in the manner in which pending amount is recovered from consumers. Energy expert MG Prabhakar said it has been suggested that the licensees shall not cut off electricity supply during the recovery period. He said that ESCOMs have adopted varied interpretations of billing and audit provisions, leading to litigation.
These include demands raised under labels such as audit short claim, billing errors, back billing and meter not recording, to name a few. He stressed the need for procedural integrity and accountability in revenue collection.
The Ministry has also proposed to make it mandatory for Electricity Regulatory Commissions to determine cost-reflective tariffs. The draft bill says state governments will continue to have flexibility to support specific consumer categories by providing advance subsidies, ensuring that no consumer group is unduly burdened.
Experts said tariffs should be revised factoring in consumers’ views, various subsidies and schemes by state governments. One of the proposals is for Energy Storage Systems (ESS) that will allow storage of electrical energy in any form for a period of time and delivering it as and when power is required.
The State Regulatory Commissions are to be designated as the Appellate Authority for resolving inter-authority disputes. Prabhakar said that Regulatory Commissions are well-positioned to adjudicate such matters.