Union New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh has directed the industry to set targets under the Green Open Access Rules 2022, in a bid to accelerate the country’s renewable energy programmes. The rules pertain to the generation, promotion, purchase and consumption of green energy including through waste-to-energy plants. It also enables a simplified procedure for the open access to green power. Open access permits a consumer to purchase power from a source of his/her choice.
Recently, Singh chaired a meeting with the industry and other stakeholders in the national capital on green energy open access. “The minister exhorts industry leaders to set targets for going green. He called upon the industry leaders to set targets for going green and take advantage of the provisions of Green Energy Open Access Rules to get green power at reasonable rates,” according to a statement by the Power Ministry.
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The Green Energy OpenAccess Rules 2022 are a major step towards India cutting emissions by 45 per cent in line with the NDC or nationally determined contribution target for 2030. The minister has also asked the industry stakeholders to inform the government of such cases where the open access rules are not being followed, so that the issues can be taken up by the concerned agencies for further penal actions, if required.
Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022: Here’s all you need to know
-In November 2022, the Power Minister had launched a green energy open access portal, allowing consumers with a 100 KW-sanctioned load to get a supply of renewables. The government rules mandate approval for green energy open access to be granted to consumers in a time-bound manner within 15 days.
-The government has been targeting to cut emissions in India to net zero by 2070 and aims to achieve 500 GW renewable power capacity, reduce emissions by one billion tonnes and an emissions intensity of the GDP by 45 percent by 030.
-The Green Open Access is allowed to any consumer and the limit of Open Access Transaction has been reduced from 1 MW to 100 kW for green energy, to enable small consumers also to purchase renewable power through open access.
-The consumers are entitled to demand supply of Green Power from the discoms. The discoms would be obligated to procure and supply green power to the eligible consumers.
-The cap on increasing of cross-subsidy surcharge as well as the removal of additional surcharge, incentivize the consumers to go green.
-There will be a uniform Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), on all obligated entities in area of a distribution licensees. Green hydrogen/green ammonia has also been included for fulfillment of its RPO.
The Power Ministry has notified the Grid Controller of India Limited as the central nodal agency to operate the Green Open Access Registry (GOAR) portal which is the single window portal to register and apply for the green energy open access.