CERC Slackens Grid Access to Renewable Energy Projects

Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), an Indian Government Department, has announced its new regulations to provide easy grid access to hydro electric power production facilities and renewable energy power producing sources.

According to the new directive, threshold value for linking inter-state grids for thermal power stations continue to be at 250 MW while it is reduced to the level of 50 MW for hydro electric power generating facilities and other facilities that use renewable power production sources. The Commission has also made amendments in its present clause of individually installed capacity of 50 MW as the basic criteria to approach for grid connectivity and introduced a new criterion to allow two power producing companies from the same grid point to show 50 MW as their collective power to use the grid facilities. This facility can be availed by a mutual consent between the companies by authorizing one company to represent the other in all operational and commercial responsibilities and use a single power production point as the lead generating point by connecting the power produced from other facility to the lead generating point.

CERC, has introduced these amendments based on the feedback received from various transmission utilities of the State especially from those located in North-Eastern states that experience difficulty due to low level of hydro electric power production. The notifications of the Commission are available at its website.