Chennai: The Union power ministry has amended the electricity (promoting renewable energy through green energy open access) rules with respect to banking of energy and levying cross subsidy surcharge on power produced from waste-to-energy plants. Experts say it will benefit wind and solar energy generators in Tamil Nadu, the top wind energy producing state in the country. The amendment was published in gazette on January 27.
The term ‘month’ has been replaced with the term ‘cycle’ in the amendment which is crucial for wind and solar energy generators. “In Tamil Nadu, the banking facility (to keep the excess energy produced in the generators’ account to be compensated later) is provided for a year. The banking period varies from state to state.
When Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) tried to change it for a month as per the rules that existed, it was opposed by the wind energy generators and appellate tribunal. Since the word ‘month’ itself has been replaced as ‘cycles’, TNERC cannot alter the banking period until the Union government or the central electricity authority comes up with a definition for the word ‘cycle’,” said Muthusamy, a former TNERC director.
K Venkatachalam, chief adviser to Tamil Nadu Spinning Mills Association, a body of wind energy generators largely for captive use, said the amendment appears to be in favour of wind and solar energy generators and added that rules have to be studied to understand the implications.
Source: PTI
