Uttarakhand Proposes Revised RPO Compliance Norms With Timelines

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The Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) has now come up with its draft regulations relating to Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO). The proposed draft regulation aims to amend the existing UERC (Tariff and Other Terms for Supply of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources and non-fossil-based Co-generating Stations) Regulations, 2023.

The State Electricity Commission proposed the new regulations to revise the segregated Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) and specify the relevant time period for the feasibility report and installation of grid-interactive rooftop and small solar plants. 

The proposal from the state commission came to the fore after the Ministry of Power last year amended its RPO targets. As per the proposed draft regulations of the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission, the obligated entities in the state will have to abide by the revised targets of RPOs. This included separate, dedicated RPO targets for distributed renewable energy. The proposed draft norms talks about wind RPO, hydro RPO, distributed RPO and other RPOs. 

Uttarakhand Proposes Revised RPO Compliance Norms With Timelines

On the other hand, the earlier version talked about solar RPOs, and non-solar RPOs and had no space for distributed RPOs. Not only the ambit of RPOs have changed, but the new draft regulation of the Uttarkhand Commission also proposed changes in the existing RPOs.

For example, the principle act of the UERC mandated a wind RPO of 2.46% for 2024-25 which has been reduced to 0.67%. Similarly, while the hydro purchase obligation (HPO) in the principal regulation for 2024-25 stood at 1.08%, the draft regulation has put it at 0.38%. 

On the other hand, the draft UERC regulations also had mandated a timeline for the feasibility reports for rooftop solar and smaller solar projects. The new norms proposed adding a new subsection under Clause 37 of the principal regulation. 

The new proposed regulation in this regard said, “Timeline for key activities shall be governed by the time specified under the Electricity 

(Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 as amended from time to time.” The Commission has asked the stakeholders to submit their suggestions to the draft regulations by May 31, 2024.