Tangedco’s open access system, another case of mismanagement
A petition filed by Tangedco before the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to fix additional surcharge on consumers purchasing or selling power through open access system has opened a Pandora’s Box with several companies opposing the claim as they are already paying surcharge for using the discom’s facility for transmitting power. Open access is a system by which private power generators can sell power directly to any private company using Tangedco’s distribution network by paying a surcharge to the discom. The system was in vogue a decade ago but was discontinued in 2009 when there was power shortage in the state and was reintroduced two years ago when the discom felt it was power surplus.
