Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka

The document examines the impact of KERC order S/03/01, which provided a ten-year exemption from wheeling charges, banking charges, and cross subsidy surcharges for solar generators achieving commercial operation before 31 March 2018. While the order is welcomed by market participants and improved viability for commercial consumers, the paper finds that tangible on-ground impacts in terms of commissioned capacity and wheeled energy will likely only be evident from the fourth quarter of Financial Year 2016 onwards due to delays in understanding the order and challenges with land and power evacuation.

• KERC order S/03/01, passed on 18 August 2014, exempted solar power generators who achieved Commercial Operation Date before 31 March 2018 from paying cross subsidy surcharges, banking charges, and wheeling charges for ten years from their commissioning date.
• The KERC order was driven by a need to address the slow growth of solar installations in Karnataka and the trend of falling solar tariffs relative to increasing utility tariffs, with the goal of promoting growth through captive routes and third party open access.
• Although buyers and sellers of solar energy view the order positively, measurable on-ground impacts—specifically in MUs wheeled or MWs commissioned—are not expected until the fourth quarter of Financial Year (FY) 2016 because of the time required to understand the order's implications and difficulties regarding power evacuation and land.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka. https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-impact-karnataka-electricity-regulatory-commissions-open-access-order-solar

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-impact-karnataka-electricity-regulatory-commissions-open-access-order-solar.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka |url=https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-impact-karnataka-electricity-regulatory-commissions-open-access-order-solar |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendassessing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Assessing the Impact of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Open Access Order for Solar Power Generators in Karnataka}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-impact-karnataka-electricity-regulatory-commissions-open-access-order-solar}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }