Availability of electricity for Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for distribution to consumers in the State is likely to improve by around 200 MW within a week following an interim order of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) in a case relating to the allocation of power transmission corridor for bringing energy to the State from outside.
KSEB complaintThe KSEB’s complaint was that Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) had rejected its application for bringing 400 MW of power from Chhattisgarh to Kerala, while allocating, “against the regulations applicable in the matter,” corridor for transferring 208 MW of power to Tamil Nadu.
In its interim order in the case on August 8, the CERC annulled PGCIL’s decision to allocate the corridor under Medium Term Open Access (MTOA) system to DB Power, a private power generating company, for taking 208 MW of power from its plant in Chhattisgarh to Tamil Nadu for three years from June 2014. The CERC also directed PGCIL to reconsider the KSEB’s application, which was rejected in preference of the application of DB Power in Tamil Nadu’s interest. PGCIL is required to take a decision on Kerala’s application within a week from the date of the interim order.
A top official of the KSEB told The Hindu that the corridor that would become available on the annulment of the space allocated to Tamil Nadu might be allocated to Kerala against its rejected application on the strength of the eligibility of the application, upheld by the CERC.
“This will be a major relief to Kerala, which is facing acute shortage of electricity this year,” he said.
Additional corridorThe CERC, in its final order in the KSEB’s petition, is also expected to give directions to PGCIL in the matter of granting additional transmission corridor to Kerala, based on applications submitted subsequent to the rejected one.
