Government opens private sector access to transmission lines

 Kathmandu, Oct. 2: The Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) has fixed transmission charges, also known as wheeling charges, for the use of the National Transmission Grid for the first time.

According to ERC, it has fixed the transmission charge for long- and medium-term open access to the National Transmission Grid at Rs. 412,755 per MW per month for fiscal year 2026/27. It has also set the transmission charge for short-term open access at 57 paisa per kilowatt-hour. With the implementation of ‘open access’ in electricity transmission, private sector promoters or consumers can now use the transmission lines by paying a fee (rental charge).

The commission fixed the charges by issuing the Standards for Calculation of Transmission Charges of the National Electricity Transmission Grid, 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the Directive on Open Access to Electricity Transmission and Distribution Systems, 2025.

The directive aims to ensure non-discriminatory access to the electricity system from generation and transmission to distribution.

Chairman of Electricity Regulatory Commission Dr. Ram Prasad Dhital said that the commission had fixed the charge to allow third parties or the private sector to use the electricity transmission system under the open market policy.

The charges have been determined based on the estimated annual revenue requirement (ARR) of the transmission system and the projected maximum load for the fiscal year.