The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) recently conducted a hearing on Petition No. 2230 of 2025, which dealt with the approval of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and the adoption of tariffs for solar power projects under the PM-KUSUM Component C-2 Scheme. The petition was filed jointly by the U.P. New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL). The case also involved several project developers, including M/s Vaarush Green Energies and M/s Crescentia Technology, among others. The purpose of this petition was to secure approval for PPAs that were signed to provide solar power to agricultural feeders in the state.
During the hearing, the petitioners explained that out of a total of 550 PPAs to be executed, about 450 have already been signed. This particular petition covered a batch of 25 PPAs. They further informed that another petition has also been filed for the remaining 110 PPAs. The representative clarified that the delay in filing was caused mainly by the large volume of documents required to be compiled, and also because some successful bidders had not yet paid their statutory fees.
The Commission raised questions regarding the timeline for the signing of PPAs. Counsel for the petitioners, Divyanshu Bhatt, informed that the agreements were supposed to be signed within 90 days of the issuance of the Letter of Award (LoA). The Commission, while taking note of this, emphasized the need to speed up the PPA approval process so that the objectives of the PM-KUSUM scheme could be achieved without unnecessary delay. The Commission formally admitted the petition and directed the respondents to file their replies within two weeks. It also instructed the petitioners to provide copies of the petition to the respondents.
In order to move the matter forward, the Commission pointed out certain discrepancies in the documents and asked the petitioners to furnish additional details within one week. These include a detailed timeline of the entire bidding process, clarification for the variation in the stated total capacity of 2553.5 MW and 2549.5 MW, and a complete list of substation-wise bidders with their respective project IDs and quoted tariffs. In addition, the Commission directed the petitioners to submit copies of the newspaper publications related to the bidding process.
The Commission noted that the timely implementation of the PM-KUSUM Component C-2 Scheme is essential to ensure the supply of solar power to agricultural feeders, which can reduce the reliance on conventional electricity for agriculture. The scheme is expected to help in providing a reliable and cleaner energy source to farmers and improve the overall sustainability of the agricultural power supply. The Commission stressed that any delays in the approval process could affect the larger goals of renewable energy adoption in the state.
After considering the submissions, the Commission scheduled the next hearing for August 28, 2025. The outcome of this case is expected to play an important role in the progress of solar power integration in Uttar Pradesh, particularly for agricultural use under the PM-KUSUM scheme.
Discover more from SolarQuarter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
