# Who verifies captive status for financial year (FY) 2025-26 and FY 2026-27: the Central Electricity Authority, the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) or the state?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/who-verifies-captive-status-by-year-cea-nldc-nodal-agency

Per the explanatory note to the 2026 rules, inter-state captive consumption up to FY 2025-26 is verified by the Central Electricity Authority. From FY 2026-27 the National Load Despatch Centre verifies inter-state cases and the state's nodal agency verifies intra-state ones.

## The split

- Inter-state, electricity consumed up to FY 2025-26: Central Electricity Authority.
- Inter-state, from FY 2026-27: NLDC, "in accordance with the procedure issued by the NLDC with approval of the Central Government".
- Intra-state, from FY 2026-27: the nodal agency designated by the State Government, under its own procedure.
- Rule 3(4)(a) puts it by place: plant and users in one State go to the nodal agency; in more than one State go to the NLDC.

## Gap in the source

The note names who verifies intra-state consumption from FY 2026-27. It does not say who verified intra-state consumption for earlier years, so check that with your state before you assume a body.

## While verification is pending

Rule 3(4)(c): cross-subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge are not levied pending verification, subject to the declaration furnished under the procedure. The rules do not say whether this applies to FY 2025-26 consumption verified by the Central Electricity Authority. If the plant then fails for the year, the surcharges are payable with carrying cost.

## Example: one plant, two years

- A plant in one State supplies a factory in another (an example)
- Consumption in FY 2025-26: verified by the Central Electricity Authority
- Consumption in FY 2026-27: verified by the NLDC under its procedure

The plant is an example. The verifying bodies are the explanatory note's.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads electricity bills into monthly records. It does not test captive status; the verifying body named above does.

- [Surcharge cap at 20% of cost of supply](https://senseible.earth/answers/open-access-cross-subsidy-surcharge-20-percent-cap)
- [Captive plant fails the 51% test](https://senseible.earth/answers/captive-plant-fails-51-percent-test-what-happens)
- [Group captive rules for solar](https://senseible.earth/answers/group-captive-solar-26-percent-rule)
- [Group captive solar and Scope 2](https://senseible.earth/answers/group-captive-solar-scope-2)
- [Free carbon calculators](https://senseible.earth/calculators)

Sources: [Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2026, General Statutory Rules (G.S.R.) 186(E), substituting rule 3 of the Electricity Rules, 2005 (captive generating plants), with Schedule III and the Ministry of Power explanatory note](https://www.powermin.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/05/c84c643ff478be845cff8d7dd4349d67.pdf)

Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Rule 3 of the Electricity Rules, 2005 as substituted by G.S.R. 186(E), 13 March 2026; parts in force from 1 April 2026. Checked 5 November 2026. Check the state nodal agency's or the National Load Despatch Centre's procedure before you file.
