PUCSL withdraws NCRE tariff notice in 24 hours

By Maheshi Perera

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has withdrawn the proposed new tariff on Non-Conventional Renewable Energy (NCRE) within 24 hours of its publication.

The new tariff was published on 11 September, but yesterday a fresh notice by PUCSL said it stood withdrawn.

“The withdrawal was purely due to a decision made by the Commission, and the revised tariffs announcement will soon be publicised on or before 9 October 2012,” PUCSL Chairman Dr. Jayatissa De Costa told the Daily FT.

The original tariff announcement, which was declared under the Standardised Power Purchase Agreement, was initially for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013.

Although last year’s tariff put off a segment of the industry, the proposed new rates were welcomed by the Small Hydro Power Developers Association for having a transparent tariff setting after public consultation.