RERC Proposes Amendments to Introduce Virtual and Group Net Metering in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has issued a fresh public notice inviting comments and suggestions on a petition filed by Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. (JVVNL), on behalf of the state’s three distribution companies, JVVNL, AVVNL, and JdVVNL, to amend the RERC (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Generating Systems) Regulations, 2021 and introduce Virtual Net Metering (VNM) and Group Net Metering (GNM) in the state.

The petition, driven by the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar, Muft Bijli Yojana approved in February 2024, seeks to expand rooftop solar adoption across households and institutions. The scheme aims to equip one crore households with rooftop solar systems under two models: the RESCO model, already covered under existing regulations, and the Utility Led Aggregation (ULA) model, which requires new VNM and GNM provisions.

Under Virtual Net Metering, consumers, particularly those without suitable rooftops, such as tenants and government institutions,  can draw benefits from a shared off-site solar project, receiving renewable energy credits on their bills. Group Net Metering, meanwhile, would allow consumers with multiple electricity service connections under the same Discom to install a single renewable energy system and distribute credits across all their meters. Similar frameworks are already in place in Delhi, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Assam.

In follow-up submissions, JVVNL has proposed additional measures specifically targeting the solarization of government buildings and institutions. These include extending VNM and GNM eligibility to government departments, removing the 10 kW sanctioned load cap for government connections, and mandating technical feasibility studies for each project.

The Discoms have also suggested a set of charges for government participants under the RESCO model: payment of 50 percent of the cross-subsidy surcharge, 50 percent of the additional surcharge, and wheeling charges at 11kV rates until LT tariffs are separately notified. At the same time, they have proposed incentives for projects integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), including partial to full waivers of wheeling charges, up to 100 percent for projects with storage capacity of 30 percent or more.

RERC has invited stakeholder suggestions on both the original petition and the new additions. Comments must be filed in six physical copies by September 12, 2025.