The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) has approved the proposal of the Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL) and Bihar State Power Holding Company (BSPHCL) to procure 144.27 MW of solar power, under the PM-KUSUM Component-C program for feeder-level solarization for 25 years.

The Commission also approved the discovered tariffs ranging from ₹3.30 (~$0.037)/kWh to ₹3.48 (~$0.038)/kWh and the draft power purchase agreement (PPA).

Background

The petition arose after the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) approved the increase in the solarization of grid-connected agricultural pumps in Bihar on November 14, 2025, from 90,000 to 140,300.

SPGCL filed the petition on behalf of Bihar DISCOMs to adopt tariffs and approve the draft PPA for this additional requirement.

Earlier, BSPGCL had floated a tender to solarize 3,188 agricultural and mixed feeders, totaling 1,205.79 MW for a 25-year term. A total of 88 companies participated, of which 80 were found in order.

MNRE clarified that only projects with PPAs signed by December 31, 2025, would qualify for Central Financial Assistance, making timely approval essential to secure the subsidy and keep project costs within the planned limits.

BSPGCL sought approval to use the lowest discovered tariffs from the same tender to meet the additional pump requirement.

Commission Analysis

The Commission observed that the petition complied with MNRE guidelines and that the modifications to the PPA were not inconsistent with the rules. It noted that while the tender was for 1,205.79 MW, the petition sought approval only for 144.278 MW to meet the additional 50,300 pumps.

Accordingly, BERC adopted the discovered tariffs and approved the modified draft PPA and the procurement of power for 25 years.

The Commission also recognized that Bihar-specific conditions, including high land costs and low solar irradiation, justified the tariffs ranging from ₹3.30 (~$0.037)/kWh to ₹3.47 (~$0.038)/kWh.

Recently, BERC approved Bihar State Power Holding Company’s proposal to procure 200 MW of solar power, along with a 100 MW/400 MWh energy storage system, through the interstate transmission system Tranche-XV program of the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time Regulatory Updates to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.