APTEL Strikes Down Open Access Surcharge Imposed by RERC

In a key judgment, APTEL set aside RERC’s 2016 order imposing a ₹0.80/unit surcharge on open access consumers in Rajasthan, siding with industries like Ambuja Cement and JK Cement. It found RERC failed to prove that open access led to stranded power capacity. The tribunal held that an additional surcharge requires a clear linkage between stranded capacity and open access use.