
Tue Sep 24 10:10:44 UTC 2024: ## IEX Shares Plunge 12% on Market Coupling Rumours
**New Delhi, [Date]** – Shares of India’s leading electricity trading platform, Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), took a significant hit on [Date] after reports emerged suggesting the Centre is considering implementing market coupling for power exchanges.
The news, which is yet to be independently verified by Moneycontrol, sent ripples through the market, causing IEX shares to fall over 12% to Rs 210.4 on the NSE.
Market coupling involves aggregating buy and sell bids from all power exchanges in India to arrive at a single uniform market clearing price (MCP). This would effectively eliminate price discrepancies across different platforms and potentially render power exchanges as mere facilitators of buy and sell orders.
The Grid Controller of India (Grid-India) is currently conducting a pilot study under the Ministry of Power’s directive. While a final decision rests with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, the government reportedly aims to implement market coupling by the end of FY25 or early FY26.
The proposed change is driven by the Centre’s desire to increase the role of power exchanges in electricity trading and reduce reliance on long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Market coupling would create a unified platform for power trading and contribute to the government’s vision of a more transparent and efficient energy market.
However, this development is perceived as a negative for IEX, as it could diminish the platform’s market share and potential for price differentiation.
**[Disclaimer: This is a hypothetical news article based on the provided text. The actual market reaction and government policy may differ.]**