DERC extends business plan regulations for another year

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), which has been without a chairman since August last year, has once again failed to issue a revised power tariff order for the national capital, officials said on Tuesday.

On January 7, the commission released a draft proposal to extend the DERC (Business Plan) Regulations, 2023, by one year to cover FY 2026–27, inviting stakeholder comments by January 27, 2026. No immediate response was available from the DERC.

A senior Delhi government official said power utilities would be asked to submit tariff petitions for FY 2026–27 only after the extended Business Plan Regulations are finalised.

The DERC has not issued any tariff order since 2021, instead extending existing regulations and revising targets for distribution losses and renewable purchase obligations.

Power tariffs in Delhi have not been revised since 2014, a delay that officials said is detrimental to both utilities and consumers, as deferred tariff determination adds carrying-cost burdens.

The last detailed tariff order was issued in September 2021. The three-member commission currently has no chairman, with the post lying vacant since August 2025 following the retirement of Justice Umesh Kumar.