VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) on Thursday issued regulations specifying the obligations for purchase of renewable power and its compliance by the purchase of renewable energy and renewable energy certificates. The regulation, to be known as APERC Renewable Power Purchase Obligation (Compliance by purchase of renewable energy and renewable energy certificates) Regulations, 2022 will come into force from the date of gazette notification publication, that is from September 29, 2022.
As per the orders issued, hybrid energy sources have been defined as two or more renewable energy sources used together or any single renewable energy source coupled with any storage technology to provide increased system efficiency as well as greater balance in energy supply.
The order reads that every distribution licensee shall purchase from renewable energy sources at the tariff determined by the commission under Section 62 of the Act or its tariffs discovered through a transparent process of bidding u/s 63 of the Act and adopted by the commission, minimum quantities of electricity expressed as a percentage of its consumption of energy for different periods.
The minimum quantity of renewable electricity to be purchased as a percentage of total consumption from the date of gazette notification to the end of the current fiscal is 18% and in the subsequent four financial years it will be 19%, 20%, 22% and 24% respectively.
Every consumer owning a captive generating plant of installed capacity of 1 MW and above and connected to the grid, shall purchase from renewable energy source or consume from his captive renewable energy sources, minimum quantity of electricity expressed as a percentage of his consumption of energy from such captive generating plant for different periods will be same as specified above.