Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998
29. Determination of tariff by State Commission
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, the
tariff for intra-State transmission of electricity and the tariff for supply of
electricity, grid, wholesale, bulk or retail, as the case may be, in a State
(hereinafter referred to as the "tariff", shall be subject to the
provisions of this Act and the tariff shall be determined by the State
Commission of that State in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2) The State Commission shall determine by regulations the
terms and conditions for the fixation of tariff, and in doing so, shall be
guided by the following, namely:-
(a) the principles and their applications
provided in sections 46, 57 and 57A of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 and
the Sixth Schedule thereto;
(b) in the case of the Board or its successor
entities, the principles under section 59 of the Electricity (Supply) Act,
1948;
(c) that the tariff progressively reflects the
cost of supply of electricity at an adequate and improving level of efficiency;
(d) the factors which would encourage
efficiency, economical use of the resources, good performance, optimum
investments, and other matters which the State Commission considers appropriate
for the purposes of this Act;
(e) the interests of the consumers are
safeguarded and at the same time, the consumers pay for the use of electricity
in a reasonable manner based on the average cost of supply of energy;
(f) the electricity generation, transmission,
distribution and supply are conducted on commercial principles,
(g) national power plans formulated by the
Central Government.
(3) The State Commission, while determining the tariff under this
Act, shall not show undue preference to any consumer of electricity, but may
differentiate according to the consumer's load factor, power factor, total
consumption of energy during any specified period or the time at which the
supply is required or the geographical position of any area, the nature of
supply and the purpose for which the supply is required.
(4) The holder of each license and other persons including the
Board or its successor body authorized to transmit, sell, distribute or supply
electricity wholesale, bulk or retail, in the State shall observe the
methodologies and procedures specified by the State Commission from time to
time in calculating the expected revenue from charges which he is permitted to
recover and in determining tariffs to collect those revenues.
(5) If the State Government requires the grant of any subsidy to
any consumer or class of consumers in the tariff determined by the State
Commission under this section, the State Government shall pay the amount to
compensate the person affected by the grant of subsidy in the manner the State
Commission may direct, as a condition for the license or any other person
concerned to implement the subsidy provided for by the State Government.
(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sections 57A and 57B
of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 no rating committee shall be constituted
after the date of commencement of this Act and the Commission shall secure that
the licensees comply with the provisions of their license regarding the charges
for the sale of electricity both wholesale and retail and for connections and
use of their assets or systems in accordance with the provisions of this Act.