The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has postponed the commencement dates of various sub-rules of the CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the Inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022, that were to come into effect on October 15, 2022.

The new commencement dates will be notified later.

The central regulator did not provide any reasons for the postponement.

Postponed subrules

The following are the subrules whose implementation has been delayed:

• Use of General Network Access (GNA) by other GNA grantees— such as those entities authorized by state transmission utilities, procurers connected to intra-state transmission systems; distribution licensees seeking ISTS connectivity; trading licensees engaged in cross-border trade of electricity; or transmission licensees connected to ISTS for drawal of auxiliary power.
• Relinquishment of GNA connectivity
• Temporary GNA eligibility of distribution licensees and bulk consumers directly connected to ISTS, buying entities connected to the intra-state transmission system, or distribution systems connected to the intra-state transmission system.
• Generating stations, including renewable generators for meeting their auxiliary consumption or start-up power, captive power projects, and standalone ESS, which are eligible for temporary GNA. Relating to national open access registry. While providing the audit trail of temporary GNA applications, the registry will also provide an interface with the software of the Regional Load Despatch Centers (RLDCs) and State Load Despatch Centers (SLDCs) for processing temporary GNA applications. It will also provide an interface with the power exchanges to validate standing clearance and processing of intra-day, day-ahead contingency, term-ahead, day-ahead, and real-time transactions. NLDC will be responsible for developing and maintaining the registry.
• Application for grant of temporary GNA; standing clearance on temporary GNA; scheduling request for power under temporary GNA; and transmission charges for temporary GNA. The allocation of transmission corridors under GNA and temporary GNA; short-term open access granted as temporary GNA under the exigency application category. When this subrule becomes effective, short-term open access applications under the open access regulations pending with RLDC or NLDC will be closed.
• Curtailment of GNA connectivity will also become effective later. This subrule states that transactions under temporary GNA will be curtailed first, followed by transactions under GNA. Within transactions under temporary GNA, bilateral transactions will be curtailed first, followed by collective transactions under the day ahead market, followed by collective transactions under the real-time market. Within bilateral transactions under temporary GNA, curtailment will be on a pro-rata basis based on temporary GNA. Within transactions under GNA, curtailment will be on a pro-rata basis based on GNA.
• Transmission charges and losses for the use of the inter-state transmission system.

Fresh applications

Fresh applications for connectivity and GNA and their processing and grant under GNA regulations will be made effective from a date to be notified separately.

Scheduling and Despatch

Scheduling and despatch of electricity will continue to be based on the extent of long-term, medium-term, and short-term open access of each of the designated ISTS customers and other grid users under the provisions of the CERC (Indian Electricity Grid Code) Regulations, 2010.

Short-term open access will continue to be granted under the CERC (Open Access in inter-State transmission) Regulations, 2008, until further notification.

Billing, collection, and disbursement of  ISTS charges and losses will continue to be based on the long-term, medium-term, and short-term access of each of the designated ISTS customers and other users of the grid under the provisions of the CERC (Sharing of inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses) Regulations, 2020 until further notification.

In October this year, the Ministry of Power notified the Electricity (Transmission System Planning, Development, and Recovery of Inter-State Transmission Charges) Rules 2021 to enable power utilities to access the transmission network across the country smoothly.

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