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PUNJAB GOVT. GAZ. (EXTRA), OCTOBER 12, 2023 (ASVN 20, 1945 SAKA)

EXTRAORDINARY

Published by Authority

CHANDIGARH, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 (ASVINA 20, 1945SAKA)

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PUNJAB STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION

NOTIFICATION

The 12th October, 2023

No. PSERC/Secy/Regu.179.- In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 181 read with Sections

43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 126, 127, 135, 152, 154 & 163 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (Central Act

36 of 2003) read with Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2007 (No. 26 of 2007) and all other powers enabling it in

this behalf, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission hereby makes following regulations to further

amend the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code and Related Matters)

Regulations, 2014 including the first to twelfth amendments thereof (hereinafter referred to as “the Principal

Regulations”):

SHORT TITLE, COMMENCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION

1.1

These Regulations may be called the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity

Supply Code and Related Matters) (13th Amendment) Regulations, 2023.

1.2

These Regulations shall be applicable to all licensees (including entities exempted under Section 13

of the Act) in their respective licensed/supply areas and all consumers/persons in the State of Punjab.

1.3

These Regulations shall come into force from the date of their publication in the official gazette of the

State.

Amendment of Regulation 2 of the Principal Regulations

The Clause (za) of Regulation 2 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted as under;

(za) “Essential Services” means the services which affect the general public at large and shall interalia

include Hospitals, Railway Stations/Installations, Railway Traction, Defence & Military Installations, Jails,

Radio/TV/News Service Installations, Water Supply & Sewerage Installations, Postal & Telegraph/Telecom

Installations/Telephone Exchanges/Installations;

Amendment of Regulation 4.3 of the Principal Regulations;

(i)

The Regulation 4.3.1 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted as under;

4.3.1A group of new/existing HT/EHT consumers, who are the associate/subsidiary companies or partnership/

sole proprietorship firms with one or more common partner(s)/owner(s), with contiguous premises

with their total contract demand above 4000 kVA, may jointly install a 33 kV or higher voltage cluster

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sub-station to be owned and maintained by them. The supply of electricity shall be provided by the

distribution licensee to the cluster sub-station at a voltage as specified in Regulation 4.2 above based on the

sanctioned contract demand of the cluster sub-station in the premises of the leader of the group. The

cluster sub-station shall be fed directly from the nearest feeding grid sub-station.

Provided that in case Right of Way is not available for HT/EHT line on lattice towers from the nearest

feeding grid sub-station, then the cluster sub-station, if technically feasible, may be fed in the manner and

in the order as specified below with option lower in order shall only be considered if all the higher options

are infeasible:

From in-between Grid sub-station by erection of new HT/EHT line of lattice towers to the premises.

ii.

Directly from the nearest feeding grid sub-station by erection of HT/EHT line on monopole towers.

iii.

From in-between grid sub-station by erection of new HT/EHT line on monopole towers.

iv.

Directly from the nearest feeding grid sub-station by laying of HT/EHT line through underground

cable.

From in-between grid sub-station by laying of new HT/EHT line through underground cable.

vi.

By tapping the HT/EHT line feeding the existing consumer of the distribution licensee provided that

the existing line feeding a continuous process industry or essential industry shall not be tapped to feed

other category of consumers or vice-versa.

While approving the lower order option, the load sanctioning authority shall certify that the options

higher in order are not feasible and shall approve the feeding arrangement after recording the reasons

for opting for any particular feeding arrangement.

The cost of HT/EHT line and other expenses shall be recoverable from the constituents of the

cluster substation as specified in Regulation 4.3.9.

(ii)

The Regulation 4.3.8 of the Principal Regulations shall be amended as under;

The proviso to Regulation 4.3.8 shall be deleted.

(iii)

The Regulation 4.3.9 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted as under;

4.3.9Recovery of Service Connection Charges in case of cluster Sub-Station

(a)

The constituent consumers of a cluster sub-station shall jointly pay the full cost of feeding HT/EHT line

including bay(s) at the feeding sub-station. In case cluster sub-station is not catered from the feeding

sub-station, as specified in regulation 4.3.1 of this regulation, then the constituent consumers of the cluster

sub-station shall jointly pay the full cost of the ‘service line’ and proportionate cost of common portion of

the main line including bay(s), as the case may be, up to feeding substation. In case the specified voltage

of the cluster sub-station is 33/66 kV then recovery of charges shall be governed as per the provisions of

Regulation 9.1.1(a)(iii)(v) and in case the specified voltage of the cluster sub-station is 132/220/400 kV

then recovery of charges shall be governed as per the provisions of Regulation 9.1.1(a)(iii)(w). In case

any HT/EHT line of the existing consumer is tapped to feed the cluster sub-station then recovery or refund

of charges, as applicable, shall be governed as per the provisions of Regulation 9.1.1(a)(iii)(x) of these

Regulations. The leader of the cluster shall be responsible to deposit the full amount on behalf of constituent

members.

(b)

In case any constituent consumer seeks extension in contract demand and such demand can be released

without augmentation of any HT/EHT line, then the constituent consumer shall be liable to pay only the

proportionate cost of common portion(if any) of HT/EHT line upto feeding substation including bay(s) as

per the Standard cost data approved by the Commission for the additional demand only subject to consent

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of all other constituent consumers failing which the consumer seeking extension in the contract demand

shall pay proportionate cost of complete HT/EHT line [i.e. service line and common portion (if any)]

including bay(s) as per the cost data approved by the Commission for the additional demand only. Any

augmentation of 11 kV line shall be at the cost of the consumer & shall be governed by regulation 4.3.8 of

the Supply Code.

(c)

In case any associate/subsidiary company of the existing constituent member requires a new connection

from the cluster sub-station, such connection can only be released from the cluster sub-station with the

consent of all existing constituent consumers. If such demand can be released without any augmentation

of any HT/EHT, the consumer seeking new connection shall be required to pay to the licensee proportionate

cost of complete HT/EHT line [i.e. service line and common portion (if any)] upto feeding station including

bay(s) as per the cost data approved by the Commission and erect 11 kV line as provided in regulation

4.3.8. The proportionate cost so recovered [excluding proportionate cost of common portion of line/bay(s)

(if any)] along with interest at Bank Rate (as on 1st April of each year) as notified by RBI (compounded

annually) shall be adjustable against any expenditure incurred for augmentation of feeding HT/EHT service

line which might be necessitated in case the existing constituent consumer requests for enhancement of

load. The proportionate cost of the common portion of the line recovered shall be accounted for as specified

in Regulation 9.1.1(a)(iii)(x) of these regulations. However, in case augmentation of cluster sub-station is

required then the constituent consumers including the new consumer shall get the capacity augmented at

their own cost since the cluster sub-station has been jointly installed by the constituent consumers.

(d)

In case of augmentation of HT/EHT service line for release of additional demand as per regulation (b) or

release of new connection as per regulation (c) above, the entire cost of augmentation of individual service

line shall be borne by the concerned constituent consumer of the cluster. In case of augmentation of the

common portion of the line is required, the same shall be carried out by the distribution licensee at its own

cost provided the concerned constituent consumer of the cluster requesting for additional demand/new

demand pay the proportionate cost of the common portion of the line up to feeding substation including

bay(s) for additional demand/new demand only and leader of the group shall be responsible to ensure

deposit of all charges.

Sd/-

Secretary to the Commission

Note:

The Principal Regulations were issued vide Notification No. PSERC/Secy./Regu.97 dated

05.11.2014 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 5th Nov. 2014 and further amended vide:

The 1st amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.114 dated 22.06.2016 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 23.06.2016.

The 2nd amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.116 dated 05.10.2016 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 05.10.2016.

The 3rd amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.119 dated 21.03.2017 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 22.03.2017.

The 4th amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.125 dated 17.05.2018 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 17.05.2018 read with

corrigendum issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./Regu.126 dated 06.06.2018 published in Punjab

Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 06.06.2018.

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The 5th amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.137 dated 28.01.2019 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 28.01.2019

The 6th amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.146 dated 09.01.2020 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 10.01.2020

The 7th amendment to the Principal Regulations issued vide Notification No/. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.151 dated 18.09.2020 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 18.09.2020

The 8th amendment to the Principal Regulations was issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.155 dated 10.03.2021 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 10.03.2021

The 9th amendment to the Principal Regulations was issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.157 dated 20.07.2021 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 20.07.2021

The 10th amendment to the Principal Regulations was issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.162 dated 02.02.2022 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 17.03.2022.

The 11th amendment to the Principal Regulations was issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.164 dated 08.09.2022 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 08.09.2022.

The 12th amendment to the Principal Regulations was issued vide notification no. PSERC/Secy./

Regu.173 dated 29.03.2023 published in Punjab Govt. Gaz.(Extra) dated 31.03.2023.

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