Concerns abound as KE seeks licence for 20 years

K-Electric on Tuesday pleaded for a non-exclusive distribution and supplier licence for the next 20 years amid concerns from some consumers if such an instrument would ensure affordable and sustainable electricity to even the lower income groups and what would be the safeguard mechanism. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) held the public hearing and would come up with its determination on KE’s two petitions on distribution and supplier licence for 20 years as its exclusivity licence expired last year. There were also some suggestions for conditional licences for a few years instead of for two decades. Nepra Chairman Waseem Mukhtar led the panel which also included all four provincial members including Rafique A. Shaikh, Mathar Niaz Rana, Maqsood Anwar Khan and Amina Ahmed. The issues that came under discussion included load-shedding, the reliability of figures shared by the KE and the performance of its obsolete generation plants.