The Government of Punjab on March 21, 2023, issued the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Power Quality) Regulations, 2023 in exercise of powers conferred under section 181 of the Electricity Act, 2003 r/w section 61, section 57 and section 59.
These Regulations will extend to the whole of the State of Punjab and will apply to Distribution Licensee(s) including Deemed Distribution Licensee(s), distribution franchisees and the Designated Consumers of electricity in the State as decided by the Commission from time to time including Full open access consumers, deemed licensee(s) using the intra-state transmission and/or distribution system of other licensee to source power through open access.
The following objectives of these regulation are as stated:
• The Power Quality of the electrical system refers to both the extent of deviation or distortion in pure supply waveform and the continuity of supply. An ideal power supply is never interrupted, always within voltage and frequency tolerances and has a noise free sinusoidal waveform. Poor power quality causes performance degradation and premature failures of electrical equipment. It also results in increased system losses.
• Different type of disturbances that affects the power quality include Harmonics (waveform distortion), voltage unbalance, voltage variations, flicker, supply interruptions, voltage dips and voltage swell etc. Each of these disturbances has different causes and effects.
• Power quality disturbances can propagate upstream or downstream and could affect other customers connected to the same supply network. Power quality monitors are available to measure all aspects of power quality.
• The objective of standards specified in these Regulations is to ensure the quality and reliability of electricity supplied by the distribution licensee to the end consumers and by the designated consumers.
• Any failure by the Distribution Licensee or Designated Consumer to achieve and maintain the power quality parameters specified in these Regulations shall render the Distribution Licensee or Designated Consumer liable to payment of compensation to an affected entity, as approved by the Commission.
These Regulations shall come into force from March 21, 2023.
[Notification No. PSERC/Secy/Regu.-172]
