Latest news with #KSERC
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Kerala HC directs KSERC to hold hybrid public hearings on renewable energy rules
Kochi, July 29 (UNI) The Kerala High Court has directed the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) to conduct hybrid public hearings - allowing both in-person and online participation - while considering revisions to the Renewable Energy Regulations. The directive follows widespread complaints that the Draft Renewable Energy Regulations 2025 issued by the KSERC pose a serious threat to ordinary consumers, particularly those seeking to install rooftop solar systems above 3 kW. The Court's decision comes in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Domestic On-Grid Solar Power Prosumers Forum Kerala, which raised concerns after the Commission decided to hold only online hearings, abandoning the physical format followed in previous years. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji noted the petitioners' grievance that the practice of physical hearings had been discontinued without adequate justification. In its order, the Court stated that physical hearings may be held in Kozhikode, Palakkad, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram, but left the selection of specific venues and dates to the discretion of the Commission. The Bench stressed that the Commission must consider accessibility, convenience, sufficiency, and participant safety when finalizing the logistics. While the Commission had earlier cited law and order concerns as the reason for limiting hearings to an online format, the Court maintained that hybrid hearings are essential to ensure inclusivity and meaningful public participation. The Court also directed the Commission to formulate and notify, in advance, a clear and transparent procedure for conducting the public hearings, thereby promoting openness and procedural fairness. In summary, the High Court's order restores the option of physical attendance at public hearings in key locations across Kerala, in addition to online participation, and instructs the Commission to implement well-publicized and orderly procedures for the hearings. This approach aims to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and transparency in the regulatory process concerning renewable energy in the state. The draft regulations limit net metering to just 3 kW, a drastic rollback from the 2020 regulations, which permitted up to 1000 kW—enabling participation by large consumers and community-based institutions, Prosumers Forum said. Critics argue that the draft regulations disincentivize net metering in favor of unfair billing models that undervalue consumer-generated solar power. This exclusion could directly impact millions of consumers interested in installing rooftop solar systems above 3 kW. "KSEB claims that prosumers burden the grid by consuming during peak hours and exporting during off-peak, increasing system costs. But this is misleading. Solar power from prosumers is consumed locally, reducing transmission loss and storage needs," the Forum clarified. KSEB resells this power at three to four times the price, while paying prosumers as little as ₹3/unit. Their claim of a Rs500 crore loss due to prosumers is unverified, lacking audited data or regulatory backing. In reality, prosumers support the grid by reducing peak demand and aiding load balancing. The KSERC Draft Renewable Energy Regulations 2025 threatens to derail Kerala's clean energy future. Instead of encouraging a people-led transformation, it stifles grassroots solar adoption, jeopardizing public trust, climate goals, and energy freedom. If passed in its current form, Kerala will continue to import costly power while letting its rooftop solar potential go to waste—an environmental, economic, and democratic failure, the Forum said. UNI DS AAB
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Scrap draft regulations on renewable energy: V.D. Satheesan
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) and the State government should withdraw the draft regulations on renewable energy, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan demanded on Saturday. Mr. Satheesan slammed the draft proposals requiring renewable energy installations with inverter capacity greater than 3 kW to have three-phase inverters, the Net Metering stipulation regarding hybrid inverters with minimum 30% storage capacity for plants up to 5 kW, and the ₹1 grid support charge as detrimental to the future of renewable energy projects. If the draft proposals are enforced, all the solar power plants in Kerala will have to be shutdown, he said. Mr. Satheesan's demand has coincided with the public hearings being conducted on the Draft KSERC (Renewable Energy and Related Matters) Regulations, 2025. While the Kerala State Electricity Board has welcomed the draft proposals, prosumers, vendors and other stakeholders have criticised them for being regressive in their approach to Kerala's rapidly growing sector.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Solar power could soon overtake hydel power in Kerala's renewable energy mix, indicates KSEB
The way things are going, solar power could soon outpace hydropower in Kerala's renewable energy mix. Hydropower continues to dominate the renewable energy mix in the State's power system, at least for the time being. The picture could change soon if the latest data presented by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), the State power utility, before the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) are any indication. The data was presented by the KSEB during a hearing on the draft KSERC (Renewable Energy and Related Matters) Regulations, 2025. Hydropower accounts for 50% of the renewable energy bouquet, while solar power is now a close second at 47%. The latter includes both rooftop and non-rooftop (ground-mounted) solar power. While hydel power accounts for 2284.42 megawatts (MW), rooftop solar is second with 1397.12 MW (30%), and solar other than rooftop schemes (such as ground-mounted projects) contribute 787.35 MW (17%). The latter quantum of 787.35 MW also includes around 300 MW sourced from outside Kerala. Wind power is in fourth position with 146.53 MW (3%), according to the KSEB. In the case of daytime generation, solar power generation has already crossed hydel generation. The rapid increase in renewable energy injection, mostly solar, into the grid is also presenting tough challenges to the KSEB which says it is struggling to absorb the large volume of RE exports from prosumers. According to the KSEB, prosumers are exporting to the grid much more than they are using during the daytime. All categories of prosumers export 75.53% of their generation during solar hours to the grid. In the case of the domestic (low-tension) alone, this is 79.21%. According to the KSEB, in 2022-23 the day-time use and energy export stood at 172 million units (mu) and 309 mu respectively. This has risen to 369 mu and 877 mu respectively in 2024-25. If one takes into account Kerala's overall power availability from all sources within and outside the State, renewable energy, including hydropower, accounts for about 65%. Coal accounts for 31%.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Unbridled solar power injection into grid will have financial implications, KSEB tells public hearing
The cost of managing unbridled injection of solar power to the grid by prosumers in Kerala comes to around ₹500 crore a year, with a per-unit impact of 19 paise on electricity consumers, according to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The KSEB presented this assessment while giving its views at a public hearing organised by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission on the draft renewable energy regulations. At this pace, the per-unit impact on consumers could shoot up to 40 paise per unit by 2034-35, the KSEB told the hearing. With day-time solar power injection to the grid crossing 1,000 MW, the KSEB says it is finding it tougher by the day to absorb this huge volume. The power utility says it conducted a study which showed that prosumers in general were exporting 75.53% of their generation during solar hours. In the case of domestic prosumers alone, this was as high as 79.21%. The cost for accommodating this volume, based on 2024-25 figures, is pegged at ₹500 crore a year. This cost, according to KSEB officials, arises from multiple components; the loss incurred for having to surrender power from long-term contracts for accommodating the renewable energy injection, the loss incurred by the KSEB from having to replace power 'banked' with it by prosumers during the daytime with high-cost power during peak evening hours and the spending on infrastructure needed to manage the solar power fed into the system. The KSEB has welcomed the draft KSERC (Renewable Energy and Related Matters) Regulations, 2025 but suggested a number of modifications. On the contentious issue of Net Metering Systems (NMS), the KSEB wanted NMS to be limited to 2 kilowatt (kW). All new systems above 2 kW should be brought under Net Billing System (NBS), according to it. The KSEB suggestions came at a time when the commission's draft proposal that the maximum capacity for new Net Metering connections should be set at 3 kW had drawn flak from prosumers. The KSEB also welcomed the commission's proposal to introduce grid support charges, another provision that had drawn considerable criticism during the hearings. The KSEB wanted the grid support charges to be applicable 'uniformly to all existing prosumers, including domestic consumers, with solar capacity up to 10 kW.' According to the KSEB, the grid support charge recommended by the commission (₹1 per unit of renewable energy exported to the grid) was too low as the actual cost of load balancing, wheeling, and banking would come to ₹7 per unit. But the KSEB said it was accepting the commission's proposal, given the need to avoid burdening consumers. The KSEB also wanted the commission to set separate Average Power Purchase Cost (APPC) for solar power and wind power, on the grounds that they be 'source-specific to reflect actual costs.' The KSEB suggested that the solar APPC be fixed at ₹2.81 per unit and wind APPC at ₹3.17 per unit.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
KSERC to extend public hearings on draft renewable energy regulations
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has decided to extend the public hearings on its draft renewable energy regulations in view of the huge response from stakeholders. The commission has scheduled additional hearings in online mode at 2 p.m. on July 15 and on July 17 as well, the secretary (in-charge) of the panel said on Thursday. The commission had originally decided to hold the hearings in online mode from July 8 to July 11. The July 9 hearing was later postponed to July 16 in view of the general strike called by trade unions. The draft KSERC (Renewable Energy and Related Matters) Regulations, 2025 is meant to replace the 2020 regulations which expired in 2024-25. According to the commission, it aims to promote renewable energy in Kerala 'in alignment with the National and State Renewable Energy (RE) targets and Net Zero commitments.' Nonetheless, many provisions in the draft have drawn sharp criticism from prosumers and other stakeholders who have variously described the draft as regressive and premature.
