Friday, November 08, 2013: Gujarat, which can easily be called the biggest solar power-producing state in India has reportedly planned to file an appeal with regulators on the decision to reject a tariff cut for photovoltaic plants.
The appeal will be heard by the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission on 11 November. This was shared by lawyer Hemant Sahai, who is representing solar developers fighting for the state’s attempts to reduce the rate paid for power produced by their plants.
According to a Bloomberg report, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL), the state power purchaser, filed a petition in May seeking to lower the tariff for solar power by 28 per cent, citing the excessive profits earned by plant owners. The regulatory commission rejected the petition in August, saying GUVNL cannot alter the terms of the contract retrospectively.
In the process, GUVNL signed 88 contracts for a total solar capacity of 971.5 megawatts with developers. The names included Moser Baer India Ltd. (MBI), Adani Enterprises Ltd. (ADE), Tata Power Co. (TPWR) and Welspun Energy Ltd., starting 2010.
