The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has extended the validity of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) Renewable Energy Tariff Regulations, 2017, and the Levelized generic tariffs for renewable projects for FY 2019-2020 for another three months.

The CERC (Terms and Conditions for Tariff Determination from Renewable Energy Sources) Regulations, 2017, were adopted by the PSERC in a petition dated October 31, 2017. The state had also adopted the Levelized generic tariff for renewable projects determined in the same order for FY 2017-18. These regulations were valid for three years, effective from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2020. The Levelized generic tariffs for renewable projects were also originally only applicable until March 31, 2020.

Mercom recently reported that the CERC extended the applicability of the Renewable Energy Tariff Regulations, 2017, for three months (from April 01, 2020, to June 30, 2020). The Commission also noted that the generic tariff issued by the Commission in the order dated March 19, 2019, will continue to remain in force until June 30, 2020. According to the regulations, the tariff period for renewable energy power projects will be the same as their useful life, and the tariff period under these regulations will be considered from the date of commercial operation of the renewable energy generating stations.

Last year, the CERC had set generic tariffs for the purchase of electricity from a host of renewable energy generation sources during the financial year 2019-20. The Levelized generic tariff will apply to small hydro projects, biomass with Rankine cycle projects, non-fossil fuel-based co-generation projects, biomass gasifiers, and biogas-based projects.

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Commission (CSERC) recently issued the final generic Levelized tariff regulations for small hydro, non‐fossil fuel‐based co‐generation, biomass, and solar projects in the state for the fiscal year (FY) 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Commission said that the generic tariff would be set on a Levelized basis for the tariff period from the commercial operation date (COD) of the projects to the end of their useful life periods.