Amid the ongoing debate over the climate change and its impact on India especially in the power sector, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has taken a slew of initiatives in the form of regulations to promote renewable energy in India.
CERC has proposed a special treatment to hydro power stations and renewable energy stations wherein prior agreement with beneficiaries would not be needed for augmentation of transmission network. Emphasis has been given on simplification of multiple agreements with various transmission service providers. Currently, 14,000 MW of renewable energy is installed, of which around 10,000 MW of wind power is mostly confined to Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan while the balance 4,000 MW is based on micro hydroel, cogeneration, solar and bio mass.
Further, CERC has envisaged reasonable capital cost based on norms, built in escalation every year in the capital cost norms. Besides, the power regulator has proposed preferential cost plus tariff for 13 years during debt repayment while it will be 25 years for solar energy.
The RE power could be fed in grid as usual with tariff approved by the respective power regulator and the credit certificate could be given to ultimate obligatory without specifying state boundaries at a price discovered in power exchanges,” he noted.
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