Electricity Act, 2003 mandates Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) to determine tariffs including transmission tariffs. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, vide CERC (Sharing of Inter State Transmission Charges and Losses) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2015 notified that no transmission charges for the use of ISTS network shall be charged to solar based generation for the useful life of the projects commissioned upto 30.6.2017. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (IC) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today . The Minister further stated that in addition, these regulations have also specified that no transmission losses for the use of ISTS network shall be attributed to solar based generation for the useful life of the projects commissioned up to 30.6.2017. However, these charges would be socialized among all Designated ISTS Customers (DICs).
The Minister further stated that Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved creation of intra-state transmission system in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan at an estimated cost of Rs 8548.68 Cr with Government of India contribution from National Clean Energy fund (NCEF) of Rs 3419.47 crore as recommended by IMG in its 12th meeting held on 30th April, 2015. For the state of Tamil Nadu, CCEA in its meeting held on 10 December 2014 approved the proposal of Tamil Nadu for providing NCEF support of Rs. 637.2 crore. The award of contract through competitive bidding of projects is at various stages with the respective state governments, the Minister added.
