Around 1000 MW of solar projects in Haryana are unable to transmit power because distribution companies are not giving them the required connectivity, aggrieved solar developers maintained.
The Distributed Solar Power Association, a body of solar rooftop developers, told repoters it is likely to soon file a petition before the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission protesting the power discoms’ reluctance.
All these are ‘open access’ projects, where developers supply power directly to their customers through the grid without routing it through a discom. But they need the relevant discom’s consent to do so. Though open access transmission is being propagated by governments, in practice, there has been a big push back from discoms against them because discoms lose revenue if power is transmitted directly without the discom as intermediary.
There are three stages of consent to open access transmission – provisional connectivity, final connectivity and final interconnection agreement. Haryana discoms have allowed the first stage, and in some cases, the second, but they are not signing the final agreement. “1000MW of stage 1 approval has been granted, so they should allow that 1000MW to go through,” said a developer, requesting anonymity.
Developers said they have been approaching Haryana power officials at all levels to no avail. Applications have been stalled since October. “The Power Purchase Agreement has been signed with the customer, investors lined up, the EPC contract is in place. We are stuck at stage 1 connectivity,” said an international developer.
“We have got the final connectivity. But the discom appears unwilling to move any further. We are sitting on a Rs 100 crore investment because the plant is ready,” said another developer.
