A further 73% of fixed costs and declining online sales have shifted the burden onto online customers
Iesco stood on top in the wake of its plausible performance to limit losses, improve recoveries and act in line with the timeframe for new connections. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has said it has initiated legal proceedings against state-owned distribution companies (DISCOs) over their failure to credit solar power units to net-metered consumers.
NEPRA on Friday confirmed that action has already been taken against DISCOs found in violation of net metering rules. The regulator further assured that a decision on the matter would likely be announced within the next 15 days.
During a public hearing, officials from the Power Division gave a brief overview of the status of net metering in Pakistan and the transition to renewable energy during the year.
It was discussed that the country’s clean energy mix was at 40% in 2015, which has now increased to 55% and is expected to increase further to 90% by 2034. Similarly, rooftop solar expanded from 5MW in 2017 with current trends predicting it will reach 14,319MW again.
The impact on grid stability has been noted to have had some unpleasant effects, causing system stress-and-curve due to fluctuating grid demand throughout the day, steep ramps and voltage feedback load issues.
A further 73% of fixed costs and declining online sales have shifted the burden onto online customers.
NEPRA officials acknowledged that the net metering framework, introduced in 2015 to expand the footprint of renewable energy and to enable consumers to meet their own electricity needs, was never intended to be a revenue-generating mechanism.
But officials noted that over the past two years, the sector has witnessed an exponential, almost tripling year-on-year increase, with installed net metering capacity now reaching 6,975 MW across the national grid.
DISCOs raised concerns during the hearing regarding technical challenges arising from the rapid expansion of rooftop solar.
