JERC notification mandates uninterrupted supply and compensation for prolonged outages
PANAJI
Relief could be on the way for households and businesses in Goa on the power supply front.
The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has proposed draft regulations that could make it mandatory for the Electricity Department to provide uninterrupted power supply and compensate consumers for breakdowns.
The draft 'Specific Conditions of Transmission and Distribution License to Electricity Department, Government of Goa Regulations, 2026' formalises it as the State’s deemed transmission and distribution licensee for EDG – Emergency Diesel Generation at sub-stations.
A clause in the notification mandates continuous supply, while another introduces penalties for non-compliance.
The rules also require annual energy audits, a public Customer Charter, and strict adherence to consumer rights under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020.
The period provided by the JERC for suggestions and objections to these draft regulations ended on Wednesday and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), is one stakeholder which has formally filed its take on it.
While it has welcomed the move, GCCI has warned that the regulations will remain ineffective unless loopholes are closed.
“GCCI has asked for narrower exclusions and shorter power restoration limits so consumers actually receive compensation for outages,” said Sanjay Amonkar, Director General of GCCI.
Currently, JERC’s Standards of Performance allow EDGs (Emergency Diesel Generators at sub-stations) to avoid paying compensation for outages by citing broad exclusions such as transformer failure, grid issues, or maintenance.
"Restoration timelines are also long – 24 hours in urban areas. GCCI wants exclusions narrowed to truly unavoidable events and restoration limits cut to 6-8 hours, so compensation kicks in faster," Amonkar said.
The Chamber has also urged JERC to ensure accountability and recommended that compensation paid to consumers must not be recovered through subsequent tariff hikes but instead from errant officials responsible for lapses.
Such continuous supply guarantees with mandates for compensation for failures are already in operation in Delhi for several years and recently in Maharashtra as well.
In Delhi, discoms must restore power within one hour or pay automatic compensation of Rs 50 per hour initially, rising to up to Rs 100 per hour for subsequent hours.
In Maharashtra, timelines are set at 2-6 hours depending on the scale of outages, with compensation linked to sanctioned load.
Goa’s framework as suggested by the JERC regulations, by contrast, will rarely result in payouts due to wide exclusions and generous restoration windows.
"It is why GCCI says adopting Delhi and Maharashtra style rules will ensure real relief for households and businesses," Amonkar said.
