The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has proposed amendments to the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms & Conditions for Intra-State Open Access) Regulations, 2011, to permit the carry-forward of banked energy for intrastate transmission system (InSTS) connected green energy open access projects, including captive users.

It proposed permitting the month-to-month carry-forward of banked energy until the end of the settlement period.

Stakeholders can share their feedback before April 20, 2026.

As per the draft amendments, the carry-forward of banked energy will be allowed from June 1 of the current calendar year to May 31 of the next calendar year.

The proposed amendments also specify that any unused banked energy remaining at the end of the settlement period will lapse, and no compensation will be provided for the lapsed energy.

The settlement period for FY 2026 is proposed to be extended to May 31, 2026, with any unused surplus power for FY 2026 to be managed under the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy to Green Energy Open Access) Amendment Rules, 2023.

Last year, PSERC accepted the Punjab State Power Corporation’s request to approve an additional surcharge of ₹1.22 (~$0.014)/kWh for full open access consumers and ₹0.83 (~$0.009)/kWh for partial open access power consumers.

For InSTS-connected projects, PSERC issued the draft Deviation Settlement Mechanism and Related Matters Regulations, 2025, to establish a commercial mechanism to ensure grid users’ adherence to scheduled electricity drawal and injection and maintain grid security and stability.

The Ministry of Power recently allowed group captive projects to meet the 51% consumption requirement collectively, rather than based on the individual proportionality requirement. This has raised hopes for increased adoption of open access by commercial and industrial consumers.

According to Mercom’s Q4 & Annual 2025 India Solar Open Access Market Report, India added 7.8 GW of solar open access capacity in 2025, a largely flat 0.5% year-over-year growth from 7.7 GW.

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