29-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Kerala HC directs KSERC to hold hybrid public hearings on renewable energy rules
Kochi, July 29 (UNI) The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) to conduct hybrid public hearings - allowing both in-person and online participation - while considering revisions to the Renewable Energy Regulations.
The directive follows widespread complaints that the Draft Renewable Energy Regulations 2025 issued by the KSERC pose a serious threat to ordinary consumers, particularly those seeking to install rooftop solar systems above 3 kW.
The Court's decision comes in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Domestic On-Grid Solar Power Prosumers Forum Kerala, which raised concerns after the Commission decided to hold only online hearings, abandoning the physical format followed in previous years.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji noted the petitioners' grievance that the practice of physical hearings had been discontinued without adequate justification.
In its order, the Court stated that physical hearings may be held in Kozhikode, Palakkad, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram, but left the selection of specific venues and dates to the discretion of the Commission. The Bench stressed that the Commission must consider accessibility, convenience, sufficiency, and participant safety when finalizing the logistics.
While the Commission had earlier cited law and order concerns as the reason for limiting hearings to an online format, the Court maintained that hybrid hearings are essential to ensure inclusivity and meaningful public participation.
The Court also directed the Commission to formulate and notify, in advance, a clear and transparent procedure for conducting the public hearings, thereby promoting openness and procedural fairness.
In summary, the High Court's order restores the option of physical attendance at public hearings in key locations across Kerala, in addition to online participation, and instructs the Commission to implement well-publicized and orderly procedures for the hearings.
This approach aims to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and transparency in the regulatory process concerning renewable energy in the state.
The draft regulations limit net metering to just 3 kW, a drastic rollback from the 2020 regulations, which permitted up to 1000 kW—enabling participation by large consumers and community-based institutions, Prosumers Forum said.
Critics argue that the draft regulations disincentivize net metering in favor of unfair billing models that undervalue consumer-generated solar power. This exclusion could directly impact millions of consumers interested in installing rooftop solar systems above 3 kW.
"KSEB claims that prosumers burden the grid by consuming during peak hours and exporting during off-peak, increasing system costs. But this is misleading. Solar power from prosumers is consumed locally, reducing transmission loss and storage needs," the Forum clarified.
KSEB resells this power at three to four times the price, while paying prosumers as little as ₹3/unit. Their claim of a Rs500 crore loss due to prosumers is unverified, lacking audited data or regulatory backing.
In reality, prosumers support the grid by reducing peak demand and aiding load balancing.
The KSERC Draft Renewable Energy Regulations 2025 threatens to derail Kerala's clean energy future. Instead of encouraging a people-led transformation, it stifles grassroots solar adoption, jeopardizing public trust, climate goals, and energy freedom.
If passed in its current form, Kerala will continue to import costly power while letting its rooftop solar potential go to waste—an environmental, economic, and democratic failure, the Forum said.
UNI DS AAB
