Tamil Nadu to come up with solar power tariff soon

Even as the Government of Tamil Nadu had earlier set a target of setting up 1,000-Mw solar power in 2013 and implementing three per cent solar purchase obligation (SPO), the state has missed the target for the first year due to various reasons, said S Nagalsamy, member, Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC). The Commission is looking at coming up with the rate fixed for solar energy soon, he added.

Speaking at a conference on solar power generation organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he said, "Government of Tamil Nadu had honestly taken steps to see that the policy was issued in October 2012, and also called for tenders for 1,000-Mw for the current year. Once the plants are set up and start generating power, achieving the three per cent SPO would not be a difficult job. However, there was a delay in it due to administrative hurdles."

The state government, for the first time in the country, had prescribed three per cent SPO for 2013, and six per cent from January 2014. Though it could not be achieved this year, but it was the state's ambitious plan to encourage solar power generation. There were some doubts in the minds of the consumers as well as the power generation firms about the scheme and some of the consumer organisations approached the court against the order of TNERC on this.

The Commission has not yet come out with the banking arrangements, wheeling charges and transmission charges for solar energy and it would be finalising it soon. It also published the draft report on the tariff for the solar energy, and received comments. Taking the feedbacks into consideration, the TNERC would shortly be finalising the rate.

"There is a huge potential in Tamil Nadu, once the tender is finalised and the power plants are set up. I think we could not do much for may be a year or so, but 2014-15 will certainly be of solar energy in the state. SPO of three per cent and six per cent can be achieved," he added.

He added that while the net metering is for the roof top consumers in certain categories - the domestic and the public buildings and the commercial buildings, it excludes certain types of consumers like the industry and private institutions. The government is also considering amendment of the policy to include all the consumers under this, he added.