| It also wants to know the kind of data sharing that will be required to facilitate the system. |
| The three power utilities have also been directed to immediately post on their websites data concerning the capacity utilisation in their respective corridors (transmission segments) from April 1, 2004 "" and also for earlier periods if possible. This would make public idle capacity available in different transmission corridors. |
| This directive was issued in the wake of the MSEB submission during today hearing on the Reliance Energy's application for the implementation of the MERC's earlier order (dated January 29, 2004) granting open access to the transmission system of MSEB and Tata Power. |
| MSEB categorically submitted that it did not have spare capacity on its 220 kv transmission system, from Padghe and Kalwa to Mumbai city, and hence it was not in a position to grant open access to Reliance Energy. |
| The committee has been appointed by the MERC under the western regional electricity board and includes members from the MSEB, Tata Power and Reliance Energy. |
| The power utilities have been directed to submit the draft terms of reference within two weeks to the committee, which is then expected to take a final decision in the presence of consumer representatives. |
| "Even the exchange of data among the power utilities, as directed by the commission, has not effectively occurred before they came for the first hearing. MSEB sought to know from Reliance Energy from where exactly it intended to source 850 mw of power for which it needed open access on the state electricity board's transmission lines. These details should have been exchanged by the utilities before coming before the commission," a MERC source said. |
| The source added that the issue of open access was simple to understand from the perspective of the Electricity Act, which comes into force from June this year. |
| "Before the new electricity act, the electrical (transmission) highways used to be the monopoly of its owners. Now all licencees, including consumers, are eligible to open access since these highways have been nationalised once they pay user charges for the same." |
| In yesterday's hearing Tata Power raised issues of reliability of power supply and the impact open access would have on the islanding system existing in Mumbai city, if a syncronisation of Reliance Energy and Tata Power transmission lines was effected without the former first upgrading its systems to acceptable levels as prescribed. |
| The MERC also emphasised that it was pertinent in consumer interest to assess if the distribution licencees wanted to bring cheaper power from outside Mumbai since it would benefit the consumers. |
| The commission also felt that a better utilisation of available assets could be effectively worked out under the open access system as long as the concerns regarding the reliability of uninterrupted power raised by Tata Power was also settled through a serious exchange of information on specific transmission corridors. |
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