ISLAMABAD:
The ministry of power department declared misleading the reports claiming that the federal government made it mandatory for solar consumers to get a license from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra).
The reports stated that changes related to solar systems made it mandatory for all consumers installing solar systems to obtain a license from Nepra. The reports suggested that the federal government impose this requirement on all users who opt for net metering.
On Wednesday, a Power Division spokesperson refuted these claims and clarified that rules for obtaining licenses related to solar net metering already exist and fall strictly under Nepra’s jurisdiction as a regulator. “The issue of licensing is linked to the regulator and distribution companies (DISCOs) are responsible for implementing these rules,” he said. The spokesman said attributing such licensing requirements to directives from the federal government was “completely wrong.”
He noted that no official position had been sought from the Power Division or the Federal Government before the publication of the reports, causing confusion among people.
In February, the government abolished the exchange of electricity units in solar net metering in a blow to consumers who want to switch to renewable energy. It also reduced the contract period from seven to five years in an apparent attempt to shift the burden of IPPs’ capacity payments to solar consumers now.
DISCOs will charge their tariff for electricity which can be up to Rs50 per unit and will receive electricity from consumers on the day at a possible rate of Rs11 per unit.
