Himachal Pradesh’s new power process will save costs and increase revenue

Diary Timees News Service

Shimla, August 4:  Himachal Pradesh is set to benefit immensely from the new electricity scheduling and accounting procedure approved recently by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). The procedure, which will be implemented by August 9, 2024, will lead to cost savings and is estimated to generate additional revenue of Rs 200 crore annually for the state.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the new procedure meets the unique needs of water-rich states like Himachal Pradesh, where direct consumption of generated power is often impractical. By allowing the state to sell its share of free power directly from the bus bars of power generation stations, the revised procedure ensures more accurate scheduling and accounting. The amendment aims to streamline Open Access Settlement Mechanism (OASM) accounting between generating stations and the state government, resulting in reduced transmission charges and associated losses.

One of the main advantages of this new procedure is that it is capable of reducing power shortages during high silt periods at important stations like Nathpa Jhakri and Rampur. Previously, the State could not adjust its power schedule during these times, creating significant operational challenges. The revised process is expected to effectively address these issues and maintain stable power supply.

The introduction of the Delayed Payment Surcharge (LPS) rule by the Government of India further underlines the importance of implementing this new process. The revised method will help the State avoid additional costs and optimize revenue generation.

Under the CERC (General Network Access) Regulation, the General Network Access (GNA) allotted to Himachal Pradesh is 1130 MW. Scheduling power beyond this limit from inter-state generating stations (ISGS) often results in power cuts. The new process aims to resolve these scheduling issues and prevent power shortages.

The Himachal Pradesh Energy Management Centre, which manages power for HPSEBL, HPPCL and DOE, is actively collaborating with CERC, NRLDC and other concerned agencies to ensure smooth implementation of the new process. Active sale of power by the agency from April to July 2024 has already generated revenue of Rs 300 crore, surpassing the figures for the same period of 2023.

Get The Latest News Of Himachal First On Mobile, Click Here To Join Our WhatsApp Group