HPERC Issues Draft Regulation To Promote Green Open Access

To offer the right to Green Energy Open Access to consumers in Himachal Pradesh, the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC) recently released draft regulation guidelines to promote green open access in the state. Under the regulation, which is termed “Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions for Green Energy Open Access and Banking) Regulations, 2024,” the aim is to provide a regulatory framework and simplify the process of granting Green Energy Open Access to renewable energy entities and consumers.

HPERC in its regulation mentioned, “Every person who has constructed a captive generating plant shall have the right to Green Energy Open Access as per the provisions of Section 9 of the Act.”

The regulation also lays down eligibility according to which, “Provided that only consumers who have a contracted demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW or more, either through a single connection or through multiple connections aggregating 100 kW or more located in the same electricity division of the distribution licensee, shall be eligible to take power through Green Energy Open Access under these Regulations.” Additionally, the regulation places no limit on the supply of power for captive consumers taking power under Green Energy Open Access.

The regulation also sets a mandate, “Provided further that the generating plant may be set up by the entity itself or by a developer with whom the entity enters into a power purchase agreement. Any consumer may elect to purchase green energy either up to a certain percentage of their consumption or for their entire consumption by placing a requisition with their distribution licensee. The licensee shall procure such quantity of green energy and supply it.

Additionally, the regulation gives consumers the flexibility to make separate requisitions for solar and non-solar energy, provided that any requisition for green energy from a distribution licensee is for a minimum period of one year and the quantum of green energy is pre-specified for at least one year.

Criteria for Allowing Green Energy Open Access:

(1) Long-term Green Energy Open Access shall be allowed by the transmission planning criteria and distribution planning code stipulated in the State Grid Code.

(2) Short-Term/Medium-Term Green Energy Open Access shall be allowed if the request is accommodated by utilizing:

(a) Inherent design margins;
(b) Margins available due to variation in power flows; and
(c) Margins available due to in-built spare transmission system capacity and/or distribution system capacity created to cater to future load growth.

Curtailment Priority:

In case, due to transmission/distribution system constraints or otherwise, curtailment is necessary, the priority shall be as follows:

(i) The Short-Term Open-Access consumer (other than Green Energy Open Access consumer) shall be curtailed first, followed by Short-Term Green Energy Open Access consumers;

(ii) Next, Medium-Term Open-Access consumers (other than Green Energy Open Access consumers) followed by Medium-Term Green Energy Open Access consumers shall be curtailed; and

(iii) Finally, Long-Term Open-Access consumers (other than Green Energy Open-Access consumers) followed by Long-Term Green Energy Open-Access consumers shall be curtailed:
Provided that within a category, Green Energy Open Access consumers shall have equal curtailment priority and shall be curtailed on a pro-rata basis. Provided further that the distribution licensee shall be curtailed as a last resort.