ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has officially registered the Central Power Purchasing Agency–Guaranteed (CPPA-G) as the authorized agent for distribution companies (Discos) and K-Electric, a move that has drawn an alarming note from Member (Law) Amina Ahmed.
According to Nepra’s notification, the registration was granted under Section 25A of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997, empowering CPPA-G (Corporate Universal Identification No. 0068608) to manage and settle legacy power contracts on behalf of Discos and KE, in line with specific terms and conditions.
However, Member (Law) Amina Ahmed raised red flags regarding the timing and implications of the decision. In her additional note, she cautioned that if the Commercial Market Operation Date (CMOD) takes effect on October 27, 2025, then from October 28 onward, all generation projects currently under development—even those fully compliant with legal, regulatory, and policy requirements—will be unable to sign Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or Energy Purchase Agreements (EPAs).
“This means that projects that have cleared all procedural and regulatory hurdles may now face suspension or cancellation simply because no Disco is available or authorized to enter into a PPA/EPA,” she warned.
Ahmed further highlighted that while a process to develop standardized PPA/EPA templates began in 2021–22, it remains incomplete, with the security package still pending finalization, despite repeated reminders from Nepra.
“If Pakistan no longer needs additional generation capacity, that decision should be made explicitly,” she emphasized. “But if we intend for projects under development to proceed, then creating new obstacles reflects a complete failure on the part of those responsible for preparing the new security framework and ensuring the readiness of Discos.”
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
