Latest news with #UttarPradeshElectricityRegulatoryCommission
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
RENEWABLE POWER OBLIGATION: Regulator reprimands UPNEDA for data laxity
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has strongly reprimanded the state's designated nodal agency, UPNEDA (Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency), for gross non-compliance and delays in furnishing Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) data. The power regulator has warned that the agency's laxity could invite penalties for defaulting power entities and undermine clean energy goals. RPO is a regulatory mandate requiring large electricity consumers to purchase a fixed share of their power from renewable sources like solar, wind, or biomass. It is aimed at cutting carbon emissions and promoting clean energy in the state. However, most entities are not meeting this obligation or the date on their meeting the obligation is not available. In a suo motu order last week, the commission expressed dissatisfaction with UPNEDA's handling of its responsibilities under the UPERC (Promotion of Green Energy through Renewable Purchase Obligation) Regulations, 2010. 'Despite repeated directions, the agency has failed to ensure timely and complete reporting from obligated entities—distribution licensees and large power consumers required to purchase a portion of their electricity from renewable sources,' it noted. According to the order, UPNEDA has so far submitted compliance data for only 378 out of 509 obligated entities, that too only from 2019-20 onwards. This is despite the Commission's earlier directive that data from 2010-11 onwards must be submitted, in line with statutory provisions. 'The compliances by UPNEDA have been really pathetic,' the order reads, underscoring that UPNEDA is still struggling to provide even the annual compliance data for all obligated entities, while the regulations mandate quarterly and yearly reporting The commission also criticised UPNEDA's inability to enforce compliance, revealing that nearly 35%-40% of the obligated entities are either non-compliant or only partially compliant. In such cases, UPNEDA should have filed petitions and ensured that show cause notices were issued for deferment or purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), it said. The commission reminded UPNEDA that its role as the State Nodal Agency is crucial for driving renewable energy adoption. The agency was supposed to monitor compliance and generate timely reports—functions that have been severely compromised due to data gaps and administrative inertia. During the hearing, UPNEDA's director Inderjit Singh appeared in person and informed the commission that data collection for the remaining entities was underway. However, the commission found the progress unsatisfactory and directed UPNEDA to submit a comprehensive compliance report covering all obligated entities from 2010-11 onward within a month. In a move aimed at modernising the compliance process, the commission advised UPNEDA to launch an online portal to collect yearly, quarterly, and estimated RE requirement data. It also instructed the agency to update its website with information on registration and accreditation of renewable energy generators. The commission has fixed July 8, 2025, as the next date of hearing. However, the personal appearance of the UPNEDA director has been dispensed with till further orders.
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
UPERC's draft regulations set new rules for captive, renewable plants
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has released the draft UPERC (Captive and Renewable Generating Plants) Regulations, 2024, outlining key provisions to promote renewable energy generation and streamline captive power policies in line with the Electricity Act, 2003. The draft regulation, which will replace the existing 2019 regulations, includes several significant changes, particularly in areas of energy banking, tariff determination and fuel pricing. The draft available on the Commission's website proposes differentiated banking provisions for renewable energy (RE) and non-RE captive plants, aligning them with the Green Energy Open Access Rules of the Ministry of Power. Captive plants are power plants set up by a company (like sugar mills) to meet its own energy requirements before selling the surplus to an external source. Banking charges have been proposed to be set at 8% for wind, solar and hybrid RE projects and 12% for other captive generating plants, payable at the time of withdrawal. Non-RE captive plants will no longer have banking facilities, with a one-year transition window provided for adaptation. For RE plants, 100% banking of energy is allowed in 15-minute time blocks, with conditions for peak and off-peak withdrawals. Banking in the context of electricity refers to the practice of storing surplus power generated by a power plant (especially renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and bagasse) with the grid and withdrawing it later when needed. For instance, a solar power plant generates more power during the daytime than its own consumption needs. The excess power is fed into the grid, effectively 'banked'. Later, when the plant's generation is low (e.g. at night or during cloudy weather), it can withdraw the banked power. The 2019 regulations provided uniform banking provisions for all RE sources, with no distinction based on the type of RE source. Commission has also standardised the pricing of bagasse (a byproduct of sugarcane used as fuel) based on its energy equivalence to coal. For FY 2024-25, they have set its price at ₹1,729 per tonne, with a provision to increase it by 3% annually. The Commission has separately determined tariff for rice-husk based RE generation. Bagasse is used as fuel in the boiler. However, various other fuels such as biomass, firewood, coal, briquettes, rice husk etc can also be used in boiler as a substitute of bagasse. For new RE projects, the regulation provides an option for pilot projects to opt for the Average Power Purchase Cost (APPC) of the distribution licensee as the tariff or approach the Commission for tariff determination. Moreover, power procurement by distribution licensees from all RE and captive plants established after April 1, 2024, will be conducted through competitive bidding, except for government-owned generating companies. Stakeholders have been invited to submit their feedback on the draft regulations before the by May 30.
News18
22-04-2025
- Business
- News18
Electricity Bills To Go Up In UP From This Month, Rates Hiked After 5 Years
Electricity bills in Uttar Pradesh will rise due to a new 1.24% "fuel surcharge", a mechanism that had remained dormant for nearly five years. In a move that has taken consumers by surprise, electricity bills in Uttar Pradesh have quietly climbed higher, with a newly imposed surcharge now appearing in the bills for April 2025. The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has implemented a 1.24% increase in power tariffs, disguised as a 'fuel surcharge", a mechanism that had remained dormant for nearly five years. Unlike a conventional tariff hike that requires public notification, this additional charge was levied quietly, causing concern among households and commercial consumers alike. The surcharge, tied to fluctuating fuel costs, will now be recalibrated monthly, mirroring the pricing model used for petrol and diesel. This means electricity bills will now rise or fall based on power consumption and market fuel prices, adding an element of unpredictability to monthly budgeting. But with rising temperatures already pushing up electricity usage, the impact for most consumers is expected to be an immediate rise in costs rather than any relief. A consumer who paid Rs 1,000 in March, for instance, will now pay Rs 1,012.40 for the same usage in April. The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission, under the Multi Year Tariff Regulation 2025, has empowered distribution companies to adjust tariffs monthly through what is known as the Fuel and Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS). This is the first time such a mechanism is being implemented in the state. Calling the surcharge unjustified, the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumer Council has vowed to oppose it. UPPCL still owes Rs 33,122 crore to consumers, and instead of settling this, they've decided to hike the bills, said Awadhesh Verma, president of the council. This backdoor increase is unacceptable, and we will protest against it, he added. First Published:
