The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has passed an important order in Petition No. 95 of 2025, granting relief to M/s Pilania Steels Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturing company based in the Heavy Industrial Area of Bhilai. The company had approached the Commission seeking an exemption that would help it shift towards the use of renewable energy.
M/s Pilania Steels operates a plant that manufactures HB wire and binding wire. At present, the company draws 850 KVA of power through a 33 kV supply line from the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL). The power is supplied through the 33 kV Hathkhoj Industrial feeder, which serves multiple consumers in the area.
In an effort to adopt green energy, the company set up a 1.50 MW captive Solar PV Power Plant in the Khairagarh district. The solar plant is connected to the grid through a dedicated feeder for injecting power. However, at the user end in Bhilai, where the company draws power, there is no dedicated feeder. Under the CSERC (Connectivity and Intra-State Open Access) Regulations, 2011, bulk consumers are generally required to have a dedicated feeder to avail open access. Since Pilania Steels intended to use open access for its solar power, it needed an exemption from this requirement.
The company argued that the quantum of power it planned to draw from its solar plant was relatively small. Therefore, installing a dedicated feeder at the drawl end would not be technically or financially viable. The petitioner requested the Commission to use its powers under Clause 5(5) of the regulations, which allows exemptions in special cases with recorded reasons.
The two respondents in the case were CSPDCL, the distribution licensee, and CSPTCL, the transmission licensee. Neither utility opposed the company’s request for exemption. However, they placed certain technical conditions to ensure grid stability and proper monitoring. They required the installation of ABT meters with Automated Meter Reading (AMR) facilities. In addition, the company must install a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) to enable real-time data communication with the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC).
The utilities also asked the company to waive any claims for compensation in case of power failures, maintenance work, or shutdowns of the multi-consumer Hathkhoj Industrial feeder. The petitioner must also agree to load restrictions if imposed by the licensees from time to time. Technical reports submitted by CSPTCL confirmed that it was feasible to transmit power from the solar injection point at the Salhebharri substation to the company’s drawl point in Bhilai.
The matter was heard on February 6, 2026, by the Commission bench comprising Member (Technical) Ajay Kumar Singh and Member (Law) Vivek Ganodwale. After reviewing the submissions and technical reports, the Commission observed that the regulations clearly allow exemptions in suitable cases, provided reasons are recorded. It also noted that Pilania Steels had formally agreed to comply with all the technical and safety conditions imposed by the utilities.
Based on these findings, the Commission allowed the petition and granted the requested exemption. As a result, M/s Pilania Steels Pvt. Ltd. can now avail open access through the common distribution feeder, subject to fulfilling all required technical and regulatory conditions. This order is expected to support the company’s transition toward renewable energy while maintaining grid safety and operational discipline.
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