States might want to satisfy 1 / 4 in their call for renewable strength (RE) assets beneath the new ‘Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO)’ mandate and grow it to 40% in keeping with the aid of giving up this decade. The new set of goals encompass sun, wind, hydro and additionally strength garage for the primary time for states to mandatorily buy.
The stringent goals come withinside the wake of India committing an formidable 500 gigawatt (GW) of RE with the aid of using 2040 on the Glasgow COP26 weather summit closing yr. Also, the draft Electricity Bill 2021, in all likelihood to be located withinside the Parliament for the duration of this monsoon session, has additionally proposed penal provisions for states which fail to satisfy their RPO goals.
Under the modern-day set of goals for 2023-2030, overall RPO variety is 24.61 to 43. 33 % in keeping. In this, the wind RPO is withinside the variety of 0.81-6. 94% in keeping with , hydro RPO, delivered years back, 0.35-2.eighty two in keeping with cent and different RPO, so one can majorly incorporate of sun strength, the variety is 23.44-33.57 in keeping with cent
For strength garage, which has been delivered for the primary time, the goals are withinside the variety of 1-four in keeping with cent for the duration of this decade. This might be met through sun and wind strength initiatives with a strength garage.
States might now want to layout and offer a trajectory for assembly the RPO goals withinside the variety stipulated with the aid of using the Centre. The states which can be deficit in the RE era should purchase RE certificates from surplus states or through strength buying and selling platforms. The charge of RECs is issued with the aid of using the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) annually.
During the closing 3 years, the RPO goals had been 17 percent, 19 in percent and 21 percent. Barring 5 states which over-accomplished their goals, not one of the states met their RPO until 2020, consistent with a Lok Sabha record at the same. The states which meet their RPO goals every year are those which can be useful resource-wise along with Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
For states which want to buy RE for assembly their goals, the fulfillment has been dismal. Since the RPO mechanism was released in 2010, besides for RE wealthy states, none have met a 100% in keeping in their goal for the duration of any year. This has brought about a developing mismatch withinside the RE area with states reluctant to buy RE even as sun and wind strength task ability will increase each year. The Centre is now seeking to strictly implement RE buy.
The proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003 have for the primary-time drafted penalty provision for states which pass over on their RPO trajectory. For states which buy RE much less than their prescribed trajectory, the Union Ministry of Power has proposed a penalty sum withinside the variety of 25 paise in keeping with unit (kwh) to 30 paisa in keeping with unit for the primary yr of default. For the following years, the penalty fee might be 35-50 paisa in keeping with unit.
India has a goal of assembling a hundred seventy five GW of RE with the aid of using the give up of this yr with sun contributing a hundred GW, 60 GW thru wind and stability from different assets along with small hydro. Currently, India’s RE ability stands at 114 GW with sun at fifty seven GW and wind at forty GW.
What Is Renewable Purchase Obligation
Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) is the requirement mandated with the aid of using Central/State Regulatory Commission and is applicable to Distribution Licensee: strength distribution companies (DISCOMs); Open Access Consumer: ones obtaining strength from strength exchanges (IEX/PXIL), from traders, through bilateral agreements and so on
When will RPO be delivered in India?
The Government of India in July 2016 notified the long-time period increase trajectory of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) for non-sun in addition to sun, uniformly for all States/ Union Territories (UTs), to begin with for 3 years from 2016–17 to 2018–19 attaining 17% of RPO with the aid of using 2019, with sun RPO being 6.75%.
Background
The Electricity Act, 2003 entrusted at the Regulatory Commissions the unique duty of advertising of renewable strength assets.
Pursuant to the enactment of the Electricity Act 2003, the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) are required to restore a minimal percent of the full intake of energy withinside the location of a distribution licensee for buy of strength from renewable strength assets.
With the change of the Tariff Policy in January 2016, the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) are required to order a minimal percent for the acquisition of sun strength which will be such that it reaches 8% of the full intake of strength, apart from hydropower, with the aid of using March 2022 or as notified with the aid of using the Central Government from time to time
What are the Objectives of RPO?
The goals of RPO are as follows:
To set up a centralized web-primarily based totally tracking mechanism for RPO compliance for all states and Union territories
To perform a clean procedure of tracking renewable strength transactions of the enlisted organizations.
To expand a database that might end up a device for SERCs to audit RPO compliance
To decorate transparency withinside the powerful compliance of RPO procedure
