Latest news with #JERC
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
New JERC rules push power dept to plan for demand, prevent shortages
Panaji: To improve electricity reliability, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has notified guidelines to help power distribution companies plan power purchases better and avoid shortages. These rules, known as the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (Framework for Resource Adequacy) Regulations, 2025, are designed to ensure that there is enough electricity available to meet the growing demand, especially during peak seasons like summer. According to the guidelines, electricity distribution agencies like the Goa electricity department will be required to forecast how much power will be needed on a monthly, seasonal and yearly basis. Department officials must plan for any gaps in power requirements and contract additional power if needed. This will help avoid sudden power cuts or blackouts during high-demand periods, the guidelines stated. 'Peak demand (in MW) shall be determined by considering the average load factor, load diversity factor, seasonal variation factors for the last three years, and the load forecasts (in MWh) obtained,' the guidelines said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Capital Gains Exemptions for Seniors SmartAsset Learn More Undo Failure to plan power requirements leading to power cuts could result in penalties, according to the notified guidelines. These penalties cannot be passed on to the consumers. It is expected to hold the Goa electricity department accountable and prevent mismanagement. The new rules also make it mandatory for electricity providers to publicly share how much power they are buying or selling. This data must be uploaded to their websites regularly. Consumers will now be able to access information on power availability, giving them greater visibility into how their electricity is being managed. These guidelines also apply to state transmission companies and full, open access consumers that are connected to the power grid. The JERC guidelines push for improved coordination among power companies, load management centres, and govt bodies. All electricity providers will have to work together to share data on power demand, availability and consumer usage patterns. The Goa electricity department will have to set up two dedicated teams — one for long-term planning and another to manage day-to-day electricity buying and selling of power. These teams will be responsible for ensuring there is no gap between demand and supply, the guidelines said.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
GCCI seeks fair power supply, cites disparity
Panaji: The Goa electricity department 's business plan reveals a stark mismatch in sectoral earnings and equitable power supply. According to the plan presented before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), industrial users form only 1% of the consumer base but generate 49% of the revenue for the department. In contrast, domestic users constitute 79% of the consumer base but contribute just 31% of total revenue to the department. 'Despite this, industrial consumers are often the first to face supply curtailments during load restrictions. This approach appears inequitable and calls for a more balanced load management strategy that considers the disproportionate contribution of industrial consumers to the overall system revenue,' said Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) director general Sanjay Amonkar . Operation Sindoor Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal Sirens, explosions in border districts after Pak breaks deal: What we know so far 'What happened to ceasefire?' J&K CM after explosions heard across Srinagar The GCCI has conveyed its concern to the JERC and the electricity department about the differential treatment accorded to industrial consumers. The electricity department gave its business plan and tariff proposals to JERC. however, the JERC came up with a new supply tariff structure and told the department to amend its business plan and tariff plans. The GCCI also urged govt to explore alternate sources of power generation to meet the deficit in power supply during peak hours. These initiatives could include battery storage for renewable power, pumped storage, mini and small hydro units, and long-term power purchases. 'Goa is short of peak power, and it procures it at a high cost. A few options for Goa may involve R&D, but it is worth having a look at,' said Amonkar. The GCCI said that the electricity department has not created contingency plans for power supply during an emergency. 'This has not been explicitly provided for in the business plan. Goa needs to have a backup supply plan to cater to crisis situations,' said Amonkar.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Need tariff hike to buy power to meet load requirements: Dept
Panaji: The electricity department has cited increased power load requirements and rising power costs as justification for its proposed power tariff hike for the next three years in the state. It has proposed a tariff hike of 5.95%, 5.64%, and 4.88% for 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28. For the two years after that, no hike has been proposed. Once approved by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), the tariff hike could come into effect from June. Chief electrical engineer, Stephen Fernandes, said on Friday that the hike is necessary because the power load in the state has increased by an average of 10% over the past three years, forcing the state to buy power at high rates to meet the shortfall. 'Fortunately, Goa has long-term contracts — 25 to 30 years old — with the National Thermal Power Corporation from whom it buys power for between Rs 1.8 paise and Rs 3.15 paise. Operation Sindoor PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list If long-term thermal agreements are signed now, we will have to pay Rs 6 or 7 per unit of power,' he said. 'During peak hours, our power demand increases by almost 25-35%,' he added, noting that during peak hours, the department must purchase power from the open market at the rate of Rs 10 per unit. Consumers at the public hearing, however, said people would be financially burdened and industries would be affected. They appealed to the JERC to keep the tariff hike on hold until the department recovers outstanding dues from govt departments and other defaulters first. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around in 2025 Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The consumers said the department has huge dues to recover, which is affecting billing and also burdening people who honestly pay bills. They pointed out the department's failure to recover dues from cable TV operators and others utilising the department's poles to hang their cables and signage. Consumers also asked about action on power thefts. Goa Consumer Action Network coordinator, Roland Martins, said the department should have held a public discussion to explain the new classifications of categories of consumers. He suggested that the department constitute a separate cell to check houses being turned into tourism businesses but being billed on domestic tariff. He also said govt failed to recover money from the failed aerial bunch cabling project. Fernandes, however, said there is no correlation between the recovery of outstanding dues and the tariff hike. He added that power thefts don't take place in Goa on a large scale. Most of the time, it is consumers running commercial businesses under domestic connections. The JERC cut short the public hearing, permitting few consumers to speak and asking the rest to send their concerns and suggestions on the power tariff via email instead.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Watt-a-shock: Goa power dept proposes tariff hikes for 3 consecutive years
Panaji: The Goa electricity department has proposed a hike in power tariff of 5.95% across all categories of consumers for the financial year 2025-26. This has been submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission that regulates the power sector in Goa for its approval. The electricity department has also proposed a tariff hike for the next two financial years. — for 2026-27, it proposed a hike of 5.64% and for 2027-28, 4.88%. The JERC has asked the public to submit objections and suggestions to the tariff petition over the next 21 days, prior to the public hearing, which is scheduled for May 9 at Institute Menezes Braganza Hall, here. For 2025-26, the state power department proposed a hike in fixed charges from Rs 20/kW per month to Rs 20.60 for low tension domestic consumers. For energy charges for the low tension domestic consumers, the department proposed a hike in tariff from Rs 1.90 per kWh to Rs 1.96 for consumption up to 100 units, from Rs 2.80 per kWh to Rs 2.91 per kWh for 101-200 units, and from Rs 3.70 to Rs 3.89 for consumption between 201-300 units. For higher slabs, the hike proposed is more. For consumption between 301 to 400 units, the hike proposed is from Rs 4.90 to Rs 5.15 per kWh, and for above 400 units, the department has proposed to hike it from Rs 5.80 to Rs 6.15 per kWh. The department has also proposed hikes in fixed monthly and energy charges for high tension domestic category, low and high tension commercial categories, low and high tension industrial categories, including hotel industries. Hikes have also been proposed for agricultural low and high-tension categories, public lighting, military engineering and defence establishment categories, hoarding and signboard categories among others. This is the fourth consecutive hike proposed by the electricity department since 2022-23.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Puducherry citizens demand accountability, expansion of smart meter coverage, ahead of JERC meet on April 29
PUDUCHERRY: Ahead of the upcoming Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) meeting, the Puducherry Civil Society Organisation has demanded accountability and transparency in billing and recruitment practices, expansion of smart meter coverage, and penalisation of power theft, among others. The JERC meeting on fixing Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) petition by the Puducherry Electricity Department (PED) for fiscal 2025-2026 to 2029-2030 is scheduled on April 29. In a detailed memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister and officials, Puducherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association president V Balasubramanian sought government action on expanding smart meter coverage to all regions, ensuring accountability in billing and recruitment practices, recovering Rs 500 crore-plus dues, penalising power thefts without burdening consumers, and taking meaningful steps to resolve the grievances raised in previous JERC meetings. The outcomes of the issues raised in the 2024 JERC meeting have still not been made public, he said. The PED's five-year business plan for 2025–30 also came under fire for being overly technical and inaccessible. Citizens have demanded a simplified summary that clearly outlines the proposed actions and their likely impact on service delivery and consumer costs. The letter also raises pressing concerns about continued billing irregularities and questions how the government plans to protect consumer rights in light of faulty metering and inconsistent billing practices. "The government must clarify its plans for privatisation of the electricity sector, the timeline for smart meter installation, and measures to address unaccounted power consumption," Balasubramanian said. The burden of financial losses, he argues, is being unfairly shifted onto consumers, prompting renewed calls for a vigilance investigation. Public anxiety is also mounting over the lack of clarity regarding the government's privatisation plans and the uneven rollout of smart meters. While urban Puducherry has seen some progress, residents of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam are allegedly being forced to purchase meters from private vendors, with no official support or guidelines in place. Citing that the solar energy scheme has also seen delays, particularly in implementing reverse metering mechanisms, Balasubramanian urged the government to provide updates on the initiative and introduce incentives for citizens to adopt renewable energy solutions. Furthermore, the letter draws attention to a staggering `500 crore in unrecovered electricity dues and criticises the government for not taking stringent measures to recover the losses. It also calls for a reduction in electricity consumption by government departments as a step toward easing the financial strain on the system. As part of broader reforms, the forum proposed the installation of advanced metering systems at transformer levels to monitor energy distribution and reduce power theft. They also demanded the elimination of fixed charges and surcharges, which they say unfairly penalise regular consumers while allowing inefficiencies to persist unchecked by defaulters.
