(1) Capital cost for a project shall include-
(a) the expenditure incurred or projected to be incurred, including interest during construction and financing charges, any gain or loss on account of foreign exchange risk variation during construction on the loan - (i) being equal to 70% of the funds deployed, in the event of the actual equity in excess of 30% of the funds deployed, by treating the excess equity as normative loan, or (ii) being equal to the actual amount of loan in the event of the actual equity less than 30% of the funds deployed,- up to the date of commercial operation of the project, as admitted by the Commission, after prudence check;
(b) capitalised initial spares subject to the ceiling norms as per regulation;
(c) additional capital expenditure determined under regulation:
Provided that the assets forming part of the project, but not in use, shall be taken out of the capital cost.
(2) The capital cost admitted by the Commission, after prudence check, shall form the basis for determination of tariff:
1[Provided that prudence check of capital cost may be carried out based on the benchmark norms to be laid down by the Commission from time to time; and] 2[Provided further that in case where benchmark norms have not been laid down, the prudence check may be carried out based on the benchmark norms/guidelines laid down by the Central Electricity Authority and] prudence check may include scrutiny of the reasonableness of the capital expenditure, financing plan, interest during construction, use of efficient technology, cost over-run and time over-run, and such other matters as may be considered appropriate by the Commission for determination of tariff:
Provided further that the Commission may issue guidelines for vetting of capital cost of hydro-electric projects by independent agency or expert and in that event the capital cost as vetted by such agency or expert may also be considered by the Commission while determining the tariff for the hydro generating station:
Provided further that the Commission may issue guidelines for scrutiny and approval of commissioning schedule of the hydro-electric projects of a developer (not being a State controlled or owned company) as envisaged in the tariff policy:
1 First proviso inserted vide Not. No. HPERC/Gen./479 dated 30 th July, 2011 published in R H.P.
dated 1 st August, 2011 at p.2042-2043.
2 Subs. for “Provided that in cases where benchmark norms have not been specified” vide HPERC/Gen./479 dated 30 th July, 2011 published in R H.P. dated 1 st August, 2011 at p. 2043.
12 Compendium of HPERC Regulations, March 2021
Provided further that in case the site of a hydro generating station is awarded to a developer (not being a State controlled or owned company) by the State Government, by following a two stage transparent process of bidding, any expenditure incurred or committed to be incurred by the project developer for getting the project site allotted shall not be included in the capital cost:
Provided further that the capital cost in case of such hydro generating station shall include -
(a) cost of approved rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) plan of the project in conformity with R&R Policy and R&R package as approved by the State Government; and
(b) cost of the developer’s 10% contribution towards Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) project in the affected area:
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Provided further that where the power purchase agreement entered into between the generating company and the beneficiaries provide for ceiling of actual expenditure, the capital expenditure admitted by the Commission shall take into consideration such ceiling for determination of tariff:
Provided further that in case of the existing projects, the capital cost admitted by the Commission prior to 1 [the starting of the first year of the control period] and the additional capital expenditure projected to be incurred for the respective years of the control period, as may be admitted by the Commission, shall form the basis for determination of tariff.