Rajasthan Unveils Green Energy Open Access Rules to Boost RE Adoption

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has unveiled the Green Energy Open Access (GEOA) Regulations, 2025, to fast-track renewable energy adoption while addressing grid reliability and affordability.

The policy has been finalised after consultations with stakeholders. The regulations prioritise green hydrogen, captive plants, and hybrid projects, marking a significant leap toward Rajasthan’s 2030 clean energy goals.

The regulations expand eligibility for green energy access, allowing consumers with a demand of 100 kW or higher, through single or aggregated connections, to procure renewable power.

Captive renewable projects face no capacity restrictions, enabling industries to scale self-supplied clean energy. Financial incentives include waivers on cross-subsidy surcharges (CSS) for captive plants, green hydrogen/ammonia units, and municipal waste-to-energy projects, with CSS increases capped at 50 percent for 12 years after a renewable plant’s commissioning. An additional surcharge for open access users will be phased out over four years, though green hydrogen producers remain exempt.

To enhance flexibility, the rules allow banking of up to 30 percent of monthly grid consumption, with excess energy lapsing annually. Banking charges are set at 8 percent of surplus energy, adjusted in-kind. Solar and wind projects can bank energy annually (April–March), hybrids for six months, and biomass plants for one month. Green hydrogen projects receive special provisions to support 24/7 production needs.

Grid safeguards include standby charges of 25 percent of energy tariffs during outages, waived if consumers provide 24-hour advance notice. During grid constraints, non-renewable open-access users face curtailment first, prioritising green energy consumers.

The policy boosts emerging sectors like green hydrogen and ammonia with a 50 percent waiver on transmission charges for projects commissioned by 2030. Hybrid wind-solar projects gain a 15 percent discount on transmission fees, while energy storage systems receive exemptions: 75–100 percent for RE-integrated storage (depending on capacity) and full waivers for standalone storage during peak hours for seven years.

Operational mandates include ABT-compliant smart meters for 15-minute energy tracking, ensuring transparency. Reactive energy charges apply only if voltage deviates beyond 97–103 percent of standard levels, easing compliance burdens.

Experts describe the exemptions as game-changing, particularly for green hydrogen and captive plants. Discoms, while cautious about banking limits, acknowledged measures to stabilise the grid.