The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has issued an order on July 17, 2025, in response to Petition No. 37 of 2025 filed by M/s SBT Textiles Pvt. Ltd. The petitioner sought exemption from the requirement of having a dedicated feeder for availing open access for solar PV power under clause 5(5) of CSERC (Connectivity and Intra-State Open Access) Regulations, 2011 and its amendments.
SBT Textiles Pvt. Ltd., operating since 2005 in Raipur, is engaged in the manufacturing of non-woven interlinings and medical textiles such as surgical masks and shoe covers. The company has two industrial units in Urla Industrial Area, Raipur, with a contract demand of 350 kVA and 400 kVA respectively, receiving power through different 33 kV feeders. The company has commissioned a 2.1 MW (AC) solar PV power plant at Village Chandanu, District Bemetara, for captive consumption.
The company requested to use the common distribution feeders for power drawl instead of installing a dedicated feeder, citing negligible drawl of solar power at the user end. The petitioner also committed to installing required communication and metering systems and agreed to abide by all conditions imposed by the Commission, including load restrictions if necessary.
CSPDCL, the distribution licensee, and CSPTCL, the transmission licensee, reviewed the technical feasibility and had no objections to the request, provided the petitioner meets certain conditions. These include installing ABT meters with AMR and RTU facilities for real-time data communication, accepting responsibility for any power supply failure due to feeder outages or maintenance, and submitting written undertakings to both CSPDCL and CSPTCL agreeing to these terms.
The Commission, after reviewing the submissions and conditions, decided in favor of the petitioner. It granted the exemption from having dedicated feeders, allowing the textile company to draw solar power through existing multi-consumer feeders. This decision is based on the petitioner’s compliance with all technical and operational conditions as set by the distribution and transmission companies and the regulatory framework.
The order has been signed by the Chairman Hemant Verma, Member (Law) Vivek Ganodwale, and Member (Technical) Ajay Kumar Singh of the CSERC. The ruling facilitates more flexible integration of captive solar power into the existing grid infrastructure, encouraging clean energy use by industrial consumers without the high cost of exclusive feeder installations.
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