New Delhi: The Ministry of Power has approved the procedure for the implementation of the Uniform Renewable Energy Tariff (URET). The tariff will apply to a central pool of green power and will allow discoms to procure power at a uniform price. The central pool will consist of power from Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) connected renewable energy projects which have been bid out by the designated agencies of the government. There will be separate categories of central pool for solar, wind, hydro power, solar-wind hybrid, Round-the-Clock power (solar-wind hybrid+storage), peaking power (solar-wind hybrid+storage), firm and dispatchable RE power and any other new pool specified by the government.
In a notification dated October 25, the Ministry of Power said, “Under these rules, an Implementing Agency shall compute ‘uniform renewable energy tariff’ on a monthly basis for each category of central pool like that Solar Power Central Pool, Wind Power Central Pool, etc, at which the intermediary procurer shall sell power from renewable energy from that central pool to all the end procurers (discoms).”
The government said that it will appoint an implementing agency for the process from time-to-time. According to an order dated March 17, 2023, the government has as of now appointed Grid India as the implementing agency for the implementation of the Uniform Renewable Energy Tariff.
The government said that it will notify the start date for each category of central pool separately. The duration of the central pool will be for five years, meaning all the RE projects for which Power Sale Agreement (PSA) is signed within this duration of five years will be part of the central pool. On the date of expiry of this five-year period, the pool will be freezed and no new projects will be added to it. All such capacity will remain part of the pool till the expiry of their respective agreements.
After the end of five years from the start date of the central pool of any renewable energy source, a new Central Pool of that renewable energy source may be formed, said the government. “The Uniform Renewable Energy Tariff for Central Pool (URET) under these procedures will be applicable only to the end procurers for their contracted capacity which forms part of the central pool,” said the government.
“The Uniform Renewable Energy Tariff for Central Pool (URET) will be applicable only to power procured by the End Procurer (discoms) and will not in any manner have any implication on the renewable energy tariff discovered under the respective tariff-based competitive bidding process (for those RE projects) and payable to renewable energy generators by the Intermediary Procurer (central agencies like SECI) as per the PPA,” the ministry added.