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MERC Orders MSEDCL to Refund Rs1.42 Cr in Excess Charges to Wind Power Developer

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has directed the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) to refund Rs1.42 crore to Ghatge Patil Industries (GPIL), a wind energy developer, for excess wheeling and transmission charges collected between August 2018 and May 2023. The amount must be refunded with 15% interest within one month, following verification of GPIL’s claims.

GPIL, which owns a 17.25 MW wind project in Dhule and supplies electricity via open access to its units in Uchgaon and Kagal, had alleged that MSEDCL wrongly levied charges based on generation instead of actual energy drawal. This, the company claimed, violated MERC regulations and a 2022 judgment from the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity. MSEDCL contended that the petition was time-barred and cited existing tariff regulations to justify its billing.

MERC, however, ruled that the billing constituted a continuing wrong and criticized MSEDCL for procedural lapses and failure to comply with regulatory orders. The Commission found the levies inconsistent with the 2016 Multi-Year Tariff Order, which does not support billing based on generation losses. While directing the refund, MERC rejected GPIL’s request for litigation costs.