The Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access Rules) Rules 2022 were issued by the ministry of power.
These rules will apply to the generation, purchase, and consumption of green electricity including energy from the Waste-to-Energy facility.
The new regulations will allow consumers to be eligible for open access to green energy if they have a contract demand or a sanctioned load of at least 100 kW. Captive consumers will not be subject to any load limitations.
The nodal agency will accept all applications for open access to green energy within fifteen days.
Any entity can choose to purchase green energy up to a specific percentage or all of its consumption. They may request this from their distributor licensee. This will procure the required amount of green energy and supply it to the consumer. The consumer shall be able to provide separate requisitions for solar and not-solar.
The obligated entity can also meet its RPO by purchasing green hydrogen or green ammonia.
A central nodal agency will be set up and operate a single-window green energy open access system for renewable energy.
Banking shall be permitted at least on a monthly basis on payment of charges to compensate additional costs, if any, to the distribution licensee by the Banking and the Appropriate Commission shall fix the applicable charges.
The permitted quantum of banked energy by the Green Energy Open Access consumers shall be at least 30 percent of the total monthly consumption of electricity from the distribution licensee by the consumers.
The charges to be levied on Green Energy Open Access consumers shall be as follows:-
(a) Transmission charges;
(b) Wheeling charges;
(c) Cross subsidy Surcharge;
(d) Standby charges wherever applicable; and
(e) No other charges except the charges above, shall be levied.
Cross subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge shall not be applicable in case power produced from a Waste-to-Energy plant and on green energy utilized to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia.
The nodal agency must prepare, in consultation with Forum of Regulators, a common application form for green energy open access within 60 days of the rules’ effective date.
The concerned nodal agency will approve the applications in 15 days. If it fails, it will be deemed that the application has been approved subject to satisfying the technical requirements specified by the relevant commission.
If there is sufficient spare capacity in the transmission system, short-term and long-term open access will be permitted. The transmission system can be augmented, however, if it is necessary for long-term open accessibility.
