BENGALURU: The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) is planning to empower large residential complexes, gated communities and commercial establishments to collectively set up their own power plants. The consumers will be permitted to set up large green power generation plants – solar and wind.
“They will have the option to set up the power plant either in their own area or at a distant location and use the existing infrastructure to supply the power. They will have to pay the transmission charges fixed by the KERC and any additional charges levied by the Escom concerned,” said a senior KERC officer.
The KERC is holding meetings with all stakeholders and is taking their opinions before formulating the final orders. Similar projects are being implemented in states such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the officer said.
“Karnataka is entering this domain late. At present, individuals are allowed to install solar panels. Mid-sized panels are permitted on rooftops of apartment complexes. But no large-scale initiative has been taken up by private residential units so far.There is potential and they are a large segment of consumers,” the officer said, adding that this will help in decentralising power generation and distribution, besides reducing the grid load.
The KERC officer said the government agencies are working on this under the Kusum-B and Kusum-C schemes. “This proposal is not similar to that of Tata Power Corporation or other private companies looking for a distribution licence. This is for power generation and utilisation at the existing costs,” the officer said.
KERC Chairman P Ravi Kumar said many industrial units, malls, tech parks, fertiliser and cement factories and public sector companies do not rely completely on Escoms for power. The KMF also has its own plant.The number of industrial units entering this sector is rising, he said.