The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued a notification about fees to be collected by Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDC) from the generating companies, distribution licensees, inter-state transmission licensees, buyers, sellers, and inter-state trading licensees and any other users.

The fees to be paid by various entities were determined after taking the recommendations and suggestions into consideration.  Distribution licensees and state transmission licensees have to pay a non-refundable, one-time registration fee of ₹1 million ($14,411) for grid access.

The generating companies with installed capacity of more than 10 MW and up to 100 MW have to pay ₹100,000 (~$1409), generating stations having installed capacity of more than 100 MW and up to 2,000 MW need to pay ₹500,000 (~$7,047), and generating stations having a capacity of more than 2,000 MW to pay ₹1 million (~14,411) as registration fees.

The inter-state trading licensees, sellers, and buyers have to pay one-time registration fees of ₹10,000 (~$144) for scheduling on market operation.

Power exchanges need to pay ₹2 million ($28,823) as one-time registration fees to NLDC.

The new regulations have considered the experience of previous control period 2014-19, along with recent development in the power system and challenges faced by the system operators, especially after the recent growth of renewable power, to determine fees and other charges of RLDCs and National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC).  The new regulations are expected to bring improvements in the current market design and help in better optimization of scheduling and economic dispatch of generation capacities.

These regulations come into effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. It will be applicable during the control period from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2024.

Recently, Mercom has reported that CERC has issued draft (Fees and Charges of Regional Load Despatch Centre (RLDC) and other related matters) Regulations, 2019.

Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSCO), Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO), Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL), and Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) have made the oral submissions during the public hearing on March 20, 2019.