REPO rules coming: Solar power to light up Delhi homes

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission is set to announce guidelines under which the city's power distribution companies will have to buy a certain percentage of power from renewable energy sources, particularly solar power.

New Delhi: The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), in the coming days, is set to announce guidelines under which the city's power distribution companies, or discoms, will have to buy a certain percentage of power from renewable energy sources, particularly solar power.

Gradually, the proportion of power from renewable sources to be purchased by the discoms will be scaled up under the guidelines called the Renewal Energy Purchase Obligation (REPO).

At present, it is optional for the companies to purchase renewable power, which is more costly. A unit of power generated through such sources costs roughly twice the price of power produced by traditional methods.

DERC chairperson P.D. Sudhakar hoped that once the REPO rules come into force, plants producing power from renewable sources in the city will become viable.

To start with, the companies are likely to be asked to purchase 2 to 3 per cent of their overall power requirement from such sources. In Delhi's case, this would mean that the companies will purchase around 100MW of renewable power.

with thanks : MSN : LINK : for detailed news.

EDRWAsJF : RWAs meeting

HC asks DERC to bring out notification on tariff hike

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to notify the recent tariff hike for electricity consumption in the Capital.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Anil Kumar asked power regulator DERC to inform it about the power tariff notification within a week after publishing it.

DERC has recently announced a 26 percent hike in power tariff for all domestic consumers with effect from July 1.

with thanks : PTI NEWS : LINK

BJP moves to High Court against DERC for tariff hike

BJP Delhi Pradesh Executive Committee member Ravinder Yadav has filed a petition in the High Court against DERC for on-issuance of a tariff order for 34% tariff hike in respect of electricity consumption w.e.f. 1st July, 2012, for judicial scrutiny.

The petition further contends that the hike is against public interest and without justification and transparency. While hearing the petition for admission the High Court has issued notice to DERC returnable within one week. During the last week of June, DERC Chairman P.D. Sudhakar announced the price hike and reiterated that consumers have to pay the high rate w.e.f. 1st July, 2012.

BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Vijender Gupta also asked Delhi Govt. and DERC as to how they put effect of 34% tariff hike from 1st July and on which basis. He also said that all the three companies viz NDPL, BYPL and BRPL are conspirators and are in collusion with DERC and Delhi Govt. and are squeezing blood of the people of Delhi in the name of supply of electricity.

In fact they have betrayed with the people in Delhi and have created arbitrarily such situation in yesteryears which is nowhere in any Metro city in India. Gupta has further contended that when Audit Report of all the three companies for the year 2010-11 and 2011-12 have not been finalised, how Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit has announced that the companies running in loss.The former DERC Chairman Virender Singh already disclosed last year that all the three companies have earned profit of Rs. 522 crores. This is a contradictory statement of both present and earlier DERC Chairman and truth must come to light with judicial intervention.

with thanks :  newstrackindia : LINK

Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar

DJB Privatisation : Janpath : Delhi Aajtak : B S Vohra

CRY : World Day Against Child Labour

No power equation,

July 3,2012 Neha Das

The government seems to be in no mood to ease the financial crunch for the common man. First, the hike in petrol and now the hike in electricity tariff. But, do we have any choice? Apparently, if the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the City are to be believed, ‘Yes we do’.
According to the data available on Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) website, the tariff during FY 12-13 for various categories of consumers and percentage increase over existing tariff is approximately 20.87 per cent. The revised tariff came into effect July 1.

The hike announced by DERC on June 27 was fourth over 10 months, prompting people to demand rollback.

For once the RWAs across Delhi have swung into action to oppose the hike. Sandeep Kapoor, General Secretary of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front says, “We have written letters to the chairman, DERC and are planning a meeting with the CM. The government will have to dilute its decision. This is a sure shot plan ahead of the elections in 2014. They cannot increase the rates at that time, so that is why they are playing a safe game here.”

Terming the hike improper, Kendra Prakash Sharma, President of Lajpat Nagar IV, Colonies RWA, says, “We strongly oppose this hike. It is like the coin in Sholay where Amitabh Bachchan used to win with the help of a coin having the same sides. BSES too seems to have that coin and always wins. Its the cons­u­mer who loses out each ti­me. Bhagidaari, a group com­prising RWAs and Delhi government officials are planning to meet at Talkatora com­plex today, to sort out the issue.”

DERC in August last had hiked the tariff by 22 per cent for all categories of consu­m­ers, which was again incre­a­s­ed by five per cent in February instant, another two percent in May and now this. When Metrolife tried to speak to DERC officials on the matter, they were too  busy to
respo­nd.

On your part, you as a consumer are free to register your protest by filing a complaint with Appellate Tribunal for Electricity about the proposed tariff hike.

with thanks : Deccan Herald : LINK

Keep same power tariff in NDMC, other areas: RWAs

ADMIN    – JUNE 29, 2012 -  New Delhi

Fuming over the steep hike in power tariff, the Resident Welfare Associations demanded that the tariff rates in the New Delhi Municipal Council area should be brought at par with those of the three power distribution companies (discoms).

“The NDMC area which caters mostly to VIP population should have equal power tariff. The government has always been trying to favour discoms and safeguard their interest,” said B S Vohra, president, East Delhi RWAs’ Joint Front.

“Major manipulations are done in the maintenance, unnecessary purchase, deficit in power purchase, change of equipment and installation of new equipment. The discoms show deficit every time,” he said.

However, clarifying on power tariff in the NDMC area, senior power department officials in the Delhi government said that the sources of power supply in respect of NDMC and the three discoms are different.

“Discoms and the NDMC are not parallel as they have been operating on different parameters. The cost of purchase of power is quite different for both of them. It varies from Rs 2.32 to more than Rs 5 per unit. The NDMC’s major sources of supply are from three generating sources: BTPS (Badarpur), Pragati-I and Dadri-I whose cost of energy ranges between Rs 2.32 and Rs.3.40,” said a senior official.

He said that NDMC and discoms are operating on different platforms and structure in terms of load, energy supply and demand, transmission, distribution constraints and source of power purchase.

“Discoms’s sources of power supply are from 30 different generating units. In case of discoms, the supply cost varies depending upon demand, supply, consumer, etc,” added the official.

with thanks : MHOne : LINK 

Bijli Ka Andhera in Sarokar on Rajya Sabha TV : Question by B S Vohra

Please click on this link to view the video : Must View :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jADrToLvQ1k

Bhagidari meet - Few more pics