Uttar Pradesh Invites Suggestions on Draft Open Access Regulations

Uttar Pradesh has issued the Draft guidelines specifying the terms and conditions for open access in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has issued the Draft guidelines specifying the terms and conditions for open access in the state. The commission has now invited suggestions and comments from stakeholders until July 8, 2019, after which the regulations come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

These regulations shall apply to open access for the purposes of open access to intra-state transmission system and/or the distribution systems of licensees in the state, including, when such system is used in conjunction with the inter-state transmission system.

As per the draft regulations, the open access customers shall be classified into three categories:

(i) Long-term customers

An open access customer availing or intending to avail intra state open access for a period exceeding 5 years shall be the long-term open access customer.

(ii) Medium-term customers

An open access customer availing or intending to avail intra state open access for a period of more than 3 months and up to 5 years shall be the medium-term open access customer

(iii) Short-term customers

An open access customer availing or intending to avail intra state open access for a period up to 3 months shall be the short-term open access customer.

The State Transmission Utility (STU) will be the Nodal Agency for allowing long term and medium-term open access in all cases. And the discoms and/or a transmission licensee, whose system is used for such long term and medium-term open access, shall be responsible for coordination with STU and shall also provide all relevant information required to take the decision for providing open access.

Similarly, the Nodal Agency for short term open access shall be the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC). STU, Transmission Licensee and a discom whose system is used for such short-term open access shall be responsible for coordination with SLDC.

As per the eligibility criteria set in the draft, open access shall be permissible to the consumers seeking
a) Open access for a capacity of 1 MW and above (except generating plants),
b) Connected at 11 KV and above.

The regulations have been so designed to offer long-term open access customers the highest priority followed by the medium-term open access customers, followed by short-term open access customers.

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