APERC usher in second phase of reforms

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has decided to usher in second phase of power reforms in the State in partnership with Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission of USA (PPUC) for providing better service to consumers and to ensure proper supply of quality power to all sectors.

K Swaminathan, Chairman of the APERC and Wendell F Holland, Chairman of the PPUC signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in the presence of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at the secretariat today.

Mr Swaminathan said the APERC will absorb good regulatory practices of PPUC to deal with the consumers problems with compassion.

He said in collaboration with USAID and PPUC the second phase of reforms would be infused into the power sector in Andhra Pradesh, which had successfully completed the first phase of reforms, which included unbundling of the power utility of APSEB into APTRANSCO, DISCOMS and AP GENCO.

Mr Swaminathan said the MoU would be for a period of five years to take forward the reform process in the State. The salient feature of the second phase of power reforms were, introduction of multi-year tariff, further reduction of power losses on T&D , bringing the power utility further closer to the stake-holders.

As part of the understanding with the PPUC, the practices of consumer handling, controls within the regulatory to evolve new strategies to meet consumers and industry needs, already in vogue in the US, will be absorbed and put to practice in the State, he added.

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