The Hindu : National : Electricity commission streamlines open access regulations

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Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

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National

Electricity commission streamlines open access regulations

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 22. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has streamlined the procedure for customers seeking open access in inter-State transmission to simplify the process and make it more user-friendly. It has categorised customers as long-term and short-term, besides clearly defining their roles, rights and obligations.

Transmission access was introduced by the Commission in February last in keeping with the Electricity Act, 2003. The amended regulations were released by the CERC on Tuesday. The regulator has detailed the criteria for grant of access and the priority norms to be followed for allotment, curtailment and exit as well as the methodology to be followed during congestion in the transmission systems.

Transmission charges

More importantly, for the short-term customer, the CERC has introduced part-day charges to reduce the cost of wheeling of peaking power while granting them an exit option. While the transmission charges shall be declared in terms of rupees per MW a day, the regulator has now decided that for part-day users up to six hours a day, only one-fourth of the per day charges will apply. Similarly, for the part-day users up to 12 hours a day, only 50 per cent of the per day charges shall apply.

As for the exit option, the short-term customers have been provided the flexibility, whereby they can surrender, cancel or reduce the reserved transmission capacity by payment of a minimum of seven days' charges or the balance period of reservation, whichever is shorter. Such customers have also been provided greater flexibility in operation in the revised norms than was allowed before.

Under the revised norms, the long-term customer shall have the exit option to relinquish or transfer his transmission right and obligations with the prior approval and subject to payment of compensation, as may be determined by the Commission. He will also be allowed access based on transmission planning criteria stipulated in the Indian Electricity Grid Code. Such customers will also have the right to use the transmission system. In the case of the short-term customer, it will be subject to availability of transmission capacity. In allotment and curtailment also, while the allotment priority of the long-term customers will be higher, the short-term customers shall be the first to be curtailed in the event of transmission constraint.

But, a monthly timetable has been introduced for the first time for grant of transmission access to the short-term customers in a transparent and organised manner. There will be provision for advance reservation for a period extending up to the next three months. For this applications can be submitted by the 19th day of the month and all applications received up to 19th day for advance reservation shall be processed together and access granted by the 26th day of the month.

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