Skip to main content

Capacity Building Programme 2 | Karnataka | October 2024

Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai, in association with Consumer Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT) and the Consumer Law, Advocacy and Research Centre (CLARC) of BMS College of Law, organized the second capacity building workshop on “Stakeholder Engagement in Electricity Governance for Transition to Clean Energy” on 25th October 2024.

The workshop was graced by the esteemed presence of Ms. Renuka Chidambaram, IAS (Retd.), Former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka. Mr.Y.G. Muralidharan, Founder of CREAT; Prof. (Dr.) Anitha F.N. D’Souza, Principal of BMS College of Law; Mr.Venkatagiri, Member of CREAT and Mr. Kirubakaran, Researcher from CAG, Chennai were the speakers at the event.

Mr. Y.G Muralidharan, CREAT welcoming Ms. Renuka Chidambaram

Participants at the capacity building program

Inaugural Session

The program commenced with a warm welcome address by Prof. (Dr.) Anitha F.N. D’SouzaMs.Renuka Chidambaram delivered the keynote address on the topic “Standardization of Indian Agencies.” In her address, Ms. Chidambaram emphasized the importance of enforcing standards such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS, 1986), and ISO 9000/9001 for improving the operations of government agencies.

She discussed the significance of quality standards and the benefits of certifications, for  providing immediate credibility to products or services, ensuring measurable quality, and fostering a competitive edge for organizations. She also highlighted challenges, including a lack of definitive performance benchmarks, non-compliance with quality standards, inadequate financial outlay, frequent changes in laws, and a lack of political will. She further raised concerns about government agencies like the ECI, CBI, ED, ITD, and CAG often serving political ends rather than achieving their mandated objectives.

Technical Session - I: Electricity Tariff

Speaker: Mr.Venkatagiri
The session focused on electricity tariff determination, emphasizing the critical role of public participation in the tariff-setting process. Mr.Venkatagiri elaborated on the components of electricity tariffs, including fuel costs, operational and maintenance expenses, costs of electricity purchased, transmission and distribution losses, and state government levies such as surcharges and taxes.

After the session, the speaker addressed and provided insights on participant questions, including : Why is the electricity tariff revised annually, what factors influence the revision, how will future electricity tariffs be impacted by increasing renewable energy adoption, what mechanisms exist for consumers to challenge unreasonable tariff hikes etc.

Technical Session - II: Stakeholders' Role in Promoting Clean Energy through Regulatory Interventions

Speaker: Mr.Kirubakaran
This session highlighted the role of stakeholders in advancing clean energy through regulatory frameworks. Mr.Kirubakaran explained the basics of rooftop solar energy systems, including subsidies, financial assistance, and regulations governing grid-connected solar PV installations. He encouraged consumer involvement in regulatory processes by participating in public hearings and contributing feedback on draft regulations and discussion papers ( i.e. state government/ministry/utility/regulators’ briefs on various aspects related to the electricity sector that are put in the public domain to get feedback). He also provided insights into regulatory permissions during public hearings, such as:

  • Operating grid-integrated solar rooftop systems during grid outages.
  • Peer-to-peer solar energy transactions via blockchain platforms.
  • Group or combined installations for solar PV systems.

Technical Session by Mr.Kirubakaran 

He also addressed questions raised by the participants such as what are the differences between net metering and gross metering, how do they impact financial viability, how can consumers apply for subsidies and financial assistance for rooftop solar installations etc.

Technical Session - III: Electricity Regulations and Consumer Rights

Speaker: Mr.Y.G. Muralidharan
The session provided an in-depth overview of key electricity regulations in Karnataka, such as the Conditions of Supply of Electricity of Distribution Licensees (2006)KERC regulations, and Karnataka Electricity Supply Code (2004). He highlighted the following duties of DISCOMs and redressal mechanism:

  • The duty of ESCOMs to supply electricity on request.
  • Time limits and conditions for power supply.
  • Standards of Performance (SoP) for licensees and procedures to claim compensation for non-compliance.
  • The functioning of Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums and the Ombudsman.

He also provided insights into questions raised by the participants, such as, how can consumers claim compensation for violations of SoP by distribution companies, how effective is the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum in addressing consumer complaints etc.

Conclusion

The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates to participants and a vote of thanks. The event provided valuable insights into stakeholder engagement in electricity governance and fostered meaningful discussions on transitioning to clean energy.

Group photo of participants

 

Licence type

Tags

Resource Type