The Power Division has formally urged the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to remove the application fee and remove the license requirement for solar power users with systems of 25 kW and below, expressing concern that the nation is at risk of being unable to adopt existing energy sources.
This urgent appeal was made by the Power Division in a letter to the power regulator following the clear instructions of Federal Minister for Power Sardar Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari.
Previously, the energy ministry had alerted NEPRA to the detrimental impacts of its revised directives, advocating for an alignment with earlier practices.
Under the former 2015 regulations, distributed generation facilities up to 25 kW did not require an authorisation from NEPRA. Applications were handled directly by Distribution Companies without any charge, providing a significant financial incentive for residential users.
However, the newer Prosumer Regulations have centralised the approval authority with NEPRA and introduced application fees, even for these smaller installations.
Responding to the Minister’s directive, the Power Division has now formally requested NEPRA to restore the earlier methodology for installations of 25 kW and lower, reiterating its warning that the prevailing approach jeopardises the national impetus towards clean energy integration.