UERC Approves Rs 0.67 Per Unit Surcharge on Open Access Power Users
Uttarakhand's power regulator has approved a fresh surcharge on industrial and other open-access electricity consumers, effective October 1 through March 2027.
Current Summary
According to a September 30 SolarQuarter report, the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) has approved an additional surcharge of Rs 0.67 per unit on open access power consumers, applicable prospectively for six months from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. The order was issued by a three-member Commission comprising Chairman M. L. Prasad, Member (Law) Anurag Sharma, and Member (Technical) Prabhat Kishor Dimri, following a petition filed by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) on June 29, 2026. UPCL had sought the surcharge under Section 42(4) of the Electricity Act, 2003, Clause 8.5.4 of the National Tariff Policy, 2016, and Regulation 23 of the UERC Intra-State Open Access Regulations, 2015, initially proposing Rs 0.88 per unit. UPCL argued that when consumers shift to open access during certain time slots, power it has contracted to procure may go unused, leaving the utility with stranded capacity and fixed purchase costs. The petition drew objections from industrial stakeholders including Galwalia Ispat Udyog Pvt. Ltd., Kashi Vishwanath Textile Mill (P) Ltd., and the Kumaon Garhwal Chamber of Commerce, after public notices were issued in July 2026.
What We Know
- UERC approved a Rs 0.67 per unit surcharge on open access power consumers.
- The surcharge applies from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
- UPCL had sought the surcharge citing stranded capacity and fixed power purchase costs.
- Industrial stakeholders objected to the proposal during public consultation.
What Is Still Unclear
- The precise financial impact on individual industrial consumers.
- Whether further surcharge revisions are planned after March 2027.
What Changed
- 30 Sept, 06:21 amSignal detected: UERC Approves Rs 0.67 Per Unit Surcharge on Open Access Power Users