Power Minister Directs REC & PFC Not to Give Loans to DISCOMs With Heavy Losses
According to government data, the aggregate technical and commercial losses of various state DISCOMs under UDAY program increased in the past one year
March 9, 2018
Power Minister R.K. Singh has directed Rural Energy Corporation (REC) and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) to not grant loans to distribution companies (DISCOMs) which are making heavy losses (above 15 per cent) unless they chalk out a plan to reduce them.
The minister noted that many DISCOMs have been making heavy transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and it may be difficult for them to repay the loans.
According to a statement issued by the power ministry, Singh’s directions came while he was reviewing the two financing arms of the power ministry – REC and PFC.
Singh directed the two institutions that before granting of the loan, either for capital expenditure or for non-capital expenditure, their adherence to the norms must be carefully observed.
Singh also added that in order to receive a loan, the loss-making DISCOMs should not only come up with a road map but also pursue them over a definite timeframe of not more than two years.
The DISCOMs must also show that they are taking action in accordance with the road map. This will be evaluated by the Ministry of Power and only then will the grant of loan be considered for such DISCOMs.
Recently, Mercom had reported that the aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses for the states and union territories under the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) program increased in the past one year.
According to the data provided by the government, as of December 2017, the AT&C losses in 24 of the UDAY states and union territories stood at 22.73 percent. Out of the participant states, the DISCOMs of nine UDAY states and union territories underwent a huge spike in AT&C losses. These states are: Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Maharashtra, and Tripura.
27 states and 5 union territories have become participants of the UDAY program to date.
Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.
RECENT POSTS
LATEST HEADLINES
Government Clarifies ALMM Enlistment Guidelines for Co-branded Solar Modules
Mar 24, 2023
Intra-State Sections of Evacuation Infrastructure for Renewables Delayed
Mar 24, 2023
EnBW Takes €2.4 Billion Final Investment Decision on Offshore Wind Project
Mar 24, 2023
India Missed 2022 Renewables Target as Rooftop Solar and Wind fell Short
Mar 24, 2023
Researchers Aim to Accelerate Delivery of Space-Based Solar Power to Earth
Mar 24, 2023
India added an impressive 2.5 GW open access solar capacity in 2022, registering a growth of 92% year-over-year (YoY), according to the 2022 Q4 & Annual Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. Karnataka emerged as the to...
March 23, 2023
Markets & Policy
Government Clarifies ALMM Enlistment Guidelines for Co-branded Solar ModulesThe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has modified the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) guidelines and provided exceptions to broaden the qualification criteria for modules produced under agreements betwe...
March 24, 2023
C&I
In Bengaluru, a 100 kW Solar System Can Save C&I Entities ₹1 Million AnnuallyMercom India successfully concluded the C&I Clean Energy Meet 2023 in Bengaluru, where stakeholders in the solar sector and commercial and industrial entities converged to enthusiastically discuss the benefits of renewable ene...
March 24, 2023
Other
Gensol Acquires Solar Tracker Maker Scorpius for ₹1.35 BillionGensol Engineering, a part of solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company Gensol Group, has acquired India-based solar tracker manufacturer Scorpius Trackers for ₹1.35 billion ($16.4 million). Gensol said the ac...
March 23, 2023
Trending News
Mercom Focus
Researchers Find Solution to Manage Load in Solar PV & Storage Systems
February 28, 2023
February 27, 2023
February 24, 2023
January 17, 2023
Magazine
Latest News
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has modified the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) guidelines and provided exceptions to broaden the qualification criteria for modules produced under agreements...
March 24, 2023
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy that the intra-state stretches of the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) have been delayed due to various reasons, including...
March 24, 2023
German electric utility company Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg (EnBW) has made its final €2.4 billion (~$2.6 billion) investment decision on He Dreiht, a major wind project in the German North Sea. The project has a capacity of 960...
March 24, 2023
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy report has isolated underwhelming progress on rooftop solar and wind energy projects as the primary reason for India falling short of achieving its renewable energy capacity target...
March 24, 2023
Researchers at Northumbria University are studying ways of producing wireless electricity from space to Earth by harvesting the Sun’s energy. U.S.-based aerospace, defense, and information security organization Lockheed Martin...
March 24, 2023
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) recently directed Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) to recompute the delayed payment charge from...
March 24, 2023
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has devised a new way to produce perovskite solar cells that could speed its commercialization. Different layers are typically added sequentially to a conductive glass substrate to...
March 24, 2023
Saudi Arabia-based energy company ACWA Power has signed power purchase and investment agreements with National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade to develop new solar and battery...
March 24, 2023
The China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved the registration of CSI Solar, the engineering, procurement, and construction arm of solar module maker Canadian Solar, to issue an initial public offering (IPO). The...
March 24, 2023
Renewable capacity grew by 9.6% in 2022, adding a record 295 GW worldwide. This accounts for 83% of all power capacity added last year and brings the global renewable generation capacity to 3,372 GW by the end of last year, a...
March 24, 2023
Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.
POPULAR POSTS
Government Clarifies ALMM Enlistment Guidelines for Co-branded Solar Modules
Mar 24, 2023
Intra-State Sections of Evacuation Infrastructure for Renewables Delayed
Mar 24, 2023
EnBW Takes €2.4 Billion Final Investment Decision on Offshore Wind Project
Mar 24, 2023
India Missed 2022 Renewables Target as Rooftop Solar and Wind fell Short
Mar 24, 2023
Researchers Aim to Accelerate Delivery of Space-Based Solar Power to Earth
Mar 24, 2023