The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) issued an order concerning Case No. 199 of 2024, addressing a petition by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (MSEDCL) related to the procurement of wind-solar hybrid power. The petition sought the adoption of a tariff for 13 MW of additional capacity from BN Peak Power-1 Pvt. Ltd. (BNPP1PL) under a Green Shoe option as part of a larger competitive bidding process.
MSEDCL initially floated a tender in March 2024 for procuring 2,000 MW of wind-solar hybrid power, with an additional Green Shoe capacity of up to 2,000 MW. The tender was conducted through an e-reverse auction, and MSEDCL subsequently filed a petition to adopt the discovered tariffs. In October 2024, MERC passed an order adopting tariffs for a total capacity of 1,601 MW from various bidders, including BNPP1PL, but inadvertently excluded the 13 MW under the Green Shoe option due to a submission error by MSEDCL.
The current petition sought to rectify this error. MSEDCL argued that during prior proceedings, it had indicated the additional capacity but mistakenly uploaded an incorrect file, leading to the omission in MERC’s earlier order. To address this, MSEDCL submitted a fresh petition, emphasizing that the additional 13 MW capacity fell within the scope of the original tender and bid process.
The Commission reviewed the petition and confirmed that the additional 13 MW was indeed part of the approved bidding process. MERC noted that the capacity was within the overall bid limit of 2,000 MW plus the 2,000 MW Green Shoe option. Consequently, it adopted the tariff of ₹3.60 per kWh for the additional capacity from BNPP1PL for 25 years. The power procured under this agreement will contribute to MSEDCL’s Renewable Purchase Obligation requirements.
In its concluding order, MERC approved MSEDCL’s proposal for the additional power procurement. It emphasized the importance of procedural accuracy in submissions, as errors can delay the approval process. The decision underscores MERC’s commitment to fostering renewable energy adoption while ensuring transparency and adherence to regulatory frameworks in competitive bidding processes.
