The Supreme Court of India has set aside an order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), ruling that Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) cannot recover depreciation costs for the decommissioned Rithala Combined Cycle Power Plant after it stopped supplying electricity. The judgment restores the 2019 order of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC)…
The Supreme Court of India has allowed an appeal by Adani Power Limited, holding that the levy of customs duty on electricity supplied from its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) plant to the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) lacked legal authority. The Court has directed the Union of India to refund the duties collected between 16 September…
The Great Indian Bustard is close to extinction. Fewer than 200 birds remain in the wild, and most of them live in the arid grasslands of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The species is among the heaviest flying birds in the world and depends on large, undisturbed grasslands to survive. Its numbers have declined due to shrinking…
The Supreme Court has ruled that electricity tariffs under the Electricity Act, 2003 must be fixed by the relevant State Electricity Regulatory Commission, not through private arrangements between distribution companies and project developers. The judgment concludes a prolonged dispute between Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) and several wind energy firms over tariffs in their…
Electricity tariffs are likely to increase across India following a Supreme Court order directing all states and Union Territories to recover pending dues owed to power distribution companies over the next four years. These liabilities, known as regulatory assets, have accumulated to over ₹1.5 lakh crore. They stem from the gap between actual electricity supply…
The Supreme Court has held that electricity regulators cannot directly investigate power distribution franchisees under Section 128 of the Electricity Act, 2003. It clarified that such franchisees fall outside the direct jurisdiction of regulatory commissions and can only be overseen through the licensed distribution companies that appoint them. A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala…
The Supreme Court has directed key power sector agencies to submit a coordinated plan to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, citing the sector’s major role in worsening air quality and climate change. The order came in response to a civil appeal (No. 388/2021) filed by climate activist Ridhima Pandey. The Bench called climate…
The Supreme Court has upheld a Delhi High Court ruling that exempts key regulatory fees charged by electricity commissions from Goods and Services Tax (GST). These include fees for granting distribution licences, regulating electricity supply, and other annual charges collected by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). This…
The Supreme Court has upheld the 2016 regulations introduced by the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) to govern open access to electricity for industrial consumers. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B. Varale dismissed appeals by several industrial companies, including Ramayana Ispat Pvt Ltd, challenging Rajasthan High Court decisions that had upheld the…
A Supreme Court-appointed panel has backed the development of five hydroelectric projects (HEPs) in Uttarakhand, despite opposition from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and the Jal Shakti Ministry, which raised concerns over ecological impacts and risks associated with the region’s seismic and landslide-prone nature. The court’s involvement dates back to the 2013 Kedarnath…