The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) has notified the BERC deviation settlement mechanism (DSM) and related matters Regulations, 2025. The regulations follow a suo motu proceeding initiated to align intra-state deviation settlement provisions with the national electricity policy, tariff policy, and the latest Central Electricity Regulatory Commission regulations. The draft regulations were released in August 2025 and were open to suggestions from concerned stakeholders.
The accepted recommendations cover the applicability of the regulations to entities connected to intra-state transmission systems (InSTS). They also address provisions related to Qualified Coordinating Agencies and the accounting responsibilities of the State Load Despatch Center (SLDC). Additionally, the recommendations clarify implementation timelines and the treatment of surplus funds in the State Deviation Pool Account.
According to the regulations, DSM will be applicable to grid-connected state entities and to renewable energy generating stations connected to an InSTS with an operable capacity of 1 MW or more. Furthermore, the draft provision authorised the SLDC to decide on the dispatch of state entities, taking into account transmission network security and constraints. Stakeholders suggested revising the methodology to clearly define how restrictions should be applied and proposed that SLDC intervention be limited mainly to deviations attracting commercial penalties. However, BERC rejected this proposal to curtail SLDC’s powers. It upheld SLDC’s authority to manage and dispatch electricity across the state grid in line with grid standards and the state grid code.
