The Ministry of Power on 6th June 2022, has published the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022 which shall be applicable for generation, purchase and consumption of green energy, including the energy from Waste-to-Energy plant. green energy means the electrical energy from renewable sources of energy including hydro and storage (if the storage uses renewable energy) or any other technology as may be notified by the Government of India from time to time and shall also include any mechanism that utilises green energy to replace fossil fuels including production of green hydrogen or green ammonia.
As per this rule, there shall be a uniform renewable purchase obligation, on all obligated entities in area of a distribution licensee. Any entity, whether obligated or not may elect to generate, purchase and consume renewable energy as per their requirements by one or more of the following methods:-
(A) Own Generation from renewable energy sources.–There shall not be any capacity limit for installation of power plants from renewable energy sources, by entities for their own consumption and such plants may be set up at any location in India and power shall be transmitted by using open access: Provided that the generating plant may be set up by the entity itself or by a developer with which the entity enters into a power purchase agreement.
(B) By procuring Renewable Energy through Open Access from any Developer either directly or through a trading licensee or through power markets.
By requisition from distribution licensee.–(a) Any entity may elect to purchase green energy either upto a certain percentage of the consumption or its entire consumption and they may place a requisition for this with their distribution licensee, which shall procure such quantity of green energy and supply it and the consumer shall have the flexibility to give separate requisition for solar andnon-solar;
(b) The consumer may purchase on a voluntary basis, more renewable energy, than he is obligated to do and for ease of implementation, this may be in steps of Twenty five per cent and going upto Hundred per cent;
(c) The tariff for the green energy shall be determined separately by the Appropriate Commission, which shall comprise of the average pooled power purchase cost of the renewable energy, cross-subsidy charges if any, and service charges covering the prudent cost of the distribution licensee for providing the green energy;
(d) Any requisition for green energy from a distribution licensee shall be for a minimum period of one year;
(e) The quantum of green energy shall be pre-specified for at least one year;
(f) The green energy purchased from the distribution licensee or from Renewable Energy sources other than distribution licensee in excess of Renewable Purchase Obligation of obligated entity shall be counted towards Renewable Purchase Obligation compliance of the distribution licensee.
