Power corporations ticked off by state regulatory body

Haryana power corporations, Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), have been ticked off by the power regulator in Haryana for disallowing ‘open access’ to private firm DLF Utilities Limited which wants to sell its surplus power.

Haryana power corporations, Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), have been ticked off by the power regulator in Haryana for disallowing ‘open access’ to private firm DLF Utilities Limited which wants to sell its surplus power.

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The private company, which has a 40 mega watt co-generation plant at Cyber City in Gurgaon, wants to export its surplus power to the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) for sale.

However, HVPN turned down the private firm’s request for using its transmission lines on payment of charges, citing its pending dispute with distribution company DHBVN regarding power supply to seven buildings owned by the group.

The denial of short-term open access has not gone down well with the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC), which has termed it as contrary to the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 and Open Access Regulation, 2005. The commission has also directed the two corporations to reconsider the application for open access and communicate the decision to the firm in 30 days.

Under the open access regulations, the primary criterion for grant or denial of short-term access is availability of surplus transmission capacity. However, HVPN did not at any stage give non-availability of transmission capacity as the reason for denying open access. The transmission company had refused to accord approval stating DHBVN had declined to give consent.