Consumers can Demand Green Power from
Discoms
·
Another Major Reform to Promote Renewable Energy through Green
Energy Open Access
·
Enables Commercial and Industrial Consumers to Go Green
·
Every Consumer becomes Stakeholder to Contribute in Achieving
India’s Commitment of 500 GW of Non-fossil Fuel by 2030
In order to further accelerate our ambitious renewable
energy programmes, with the end goal of ensuring access
to affordable, reliable, sustainable and green energy for all, Green Open Access
Rules, 2022 have been notified on 06.06.22.
These rules are notified for promoting generation,
purchase and consumption of green energy including the energy from Waste-to-Energy
plants.
The notified Rules enable simplified procedure
for the open access to green power. It will enable faster approval of Green OA, Uniform Banking, Voluntary
purchase of RE power by commercial & industrial consumers, Applicability of
OA charges etc.
Commercial and Industrial consumers are allowed to
purchase green power on voluntarily basis.
Captive Consumers can take power under Green Open
Access with no minimum limitation.
Discom Consumers can demand for supply of Green power to them.
The salient features of the Rules are as under:
a.
The Green Open access is allowed
to any consumer and the limit of Open Access Transaction has been reduced from 1
MW to 100 kW for green energy, to enable small consumers also to purchase renewable
power through open access.
b.
Provide certainty on open access
charges to be levied on Green Energy Open Access Consumers which includes transmission
charges, wheeling charges, cross-subsidy surcharge and standby charges. Cap on increasing
of cross-subsidy surcharge as well as the removal of additional surcharge, not only
incentivise the consumers to go green but also address
the issues that have hindered the growth of open access in India.
c.
Transparency in the approval
process of the open access application. Approval to be granted in 15 days or else
it will be deemed to have been approved subject to fulfilment of technical requirements.
It will be through a national portal.
d.
Determination of green tariff:
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 to the
consumers.
e.
The Rules will help to streamlining
the overall approval process for granting Open Access including timely approval,
to improve predictability of cash flows for renewable power producers. It will also
bring Uniformity in the application procedure.
f.
Banking of surplus green energy
with the distribution licensee mandated.
g.
There shall be a uniform renewable
purchase obligation, on all obligated entities in area of a distribution licensees.
It has also included the Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia for fulfilment of its RPO.
h.
Consumers will be given the
green certificates if they consume green power.
i.
Cross subsidy surcharge and
additional surcharge shall not be applicable if green energy is utilized for production
of green hydrogen and green ammonia.