Electricity consumers from Navi Mumbai and adjoining areas can have one more power distributor in addition to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MahaVitaran).
Adani Electricity Navi Mumbai Limited (AENML) along with its parent company Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) have filed an application before the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for grant of the distribution license.
It has sought the distribution license under the Electricity Act, 2003 read with provisions of MERC (General Conditions of Distribution License) Regulations, 2006. The proposed distribution license is in addition to Mumbai where the ATL through its subsidiary Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (MEML) is catering to nearly 30 lakh consumers.
In an advertisement released in several city newspapers, the AENML said it will serve more than 5 lakh consumers by the end of five years from grant of license.
As per its petition, the AENML proposes to invest Rs 5,700 crore over five years. In the Navi Mumbai area the present annual power demand of 9,500 million units is met through the MahaVitaran’s network. The AENML expects that there will be 8% growth in power demand annually in Navi Mumbai (14,000 MUs) and it proposes to tap those new consumers over the period of 5 years.
If MERC grants a distribution license to AENML then it will be the first experiment in the country where a parallel licensee will be serving through a parallel network. The application is the first such move by any player since the Electricity Act was amended to make it more open. The application has been admitted by the MERC on Friday following which the public notice has been issued.
AENML has sought a licence for expanding its power distribution business into more areas of Mumbai, including the country's largest container port JNPT, Mulund, Bhandup, part of Thane district, NAVI Mumbai, Panvel, Kharghar, Taloja and Uran. These areas cover either entirely or partly the area of some municipal council or municipal corporations including BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, Thane Municipal Corporation, NAVI Mumbai Municipal Corporation, CIDCO, Panvel Municipal Corporation, Uran Municipal Council, JNPT, NAVI Mumbai Special Economic Zone and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
