BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi : Greenpeace India and URJA (United Residents Join Action of Delhi) today condemned DERC for repeatedly flouting norms and favouring DISCOMs. Representatives from Greenpeace and URJA attended the public hearing organised by DERC today and raised their concerns. Greenpeace volunteers unfurled a banner asking DREC not to raise tariffs and to “Switch on the Sun”.
Anand Prabhu Pathanjali, Energy Campaigner Greenpeace said, “We demand to know why the DERC is not penalising DISCOMs for not procuring renewable energy or purchasing RECs to fulfil the RPO’s before introducing any new tariff hike. Electricity tariffs will keep on increasing, with every increase in the coal prices and therefore it is essential that we shift to renewable energy to stabilize the tariff.”
Any tariff revision mandated under the Central Electricity Act, 2003 under section 61 (h) directs appropriate commission to set any electricity tariff after considering generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. “Since the Delhi DISCOMs did not meet their respective RPO targets quoted by the commission, how can any tariff revision be considered?” Anand added.
The existing electricity tariff in Delhi gives enough space for DISCOMs to supply clean energy like solar at consistent basis. The solar tariffs have fallen rapidly in last few years and it can ensure round the clock electricity supply without negatively impacting the profits of DISCOMS. With solar energy cost lower than industrial and commercial consumers’s tariff, there is enough space for DISCOMs to provide consistent electricity to all its consumers without seeking any further hike.
URJA, the apex body of RWAs in Delhi, criticized the DERC for repeatedly not following the due procedure, legally mandated, in calling for a public hearing, yet again and demanded a CAG audit of the DISCOMs and Delhi legislature to look into the functioning of DERC. “DERC has been violating norms for a long time now, they did not adhere to the 15 days notice norm for calling for a public hearing. This time the ARR has been submitted twice and that too after the prescribed deadline. Further, the utilities are publishing false profit and loss statements and this needs to be checked,” said Atul Goyal of URJA.
Greenpeace India had released its report “Powering Ahead on Renewables: Leaders and Laggards” which ranks performance of all the states on renewable energy supply and calls for revision of RPO mechanism based on equity principle. Delhi, which is the national capital and boasts of its aspiration to be a world class sustainable city, is one of the worst performers. The capital has massive scope for renewable energy and needs a stronger political will to implement it.
