The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has approved the discovered tariffs ranging from ₹4.64 (~$0.054)/kWh to ₹4.73 (~$0.055)/kWh for Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company’s (CSPDCL) procurement of 500 MW of interstate transmission system-connected wind-solar hybrid energy.

It also approved a trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.0008)/kWh.

Background

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) entered power purchase agreements with four hybrid energy developers for 500 GW of hybrid energy for 25 years.

The petitioner, CSPDCL, had signed a power sale agreement (PSA) with SECI for this power. The discovered tariffs ranged from ₹4.64 (~$0.054)/kWh to ₹4.73 (~$0.055)/kWh.

The petitioner approached CSERC to approve the PSA, the discovered tariffs, and a trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.0008)/kWh.

CSPDCL submitted that it must procure a specific percentage of its total energy for consumption from renewable sources under the CSERC (Renewable Purchase Obligation and REC Framework Implementation) Regulations. The PSA with SECI was signed to fulfill this renewable purchase obligation (RPO).

During the proceedings, the Commission directed the petitioner to update it on the RPO shortfall status and negotiate with SECI to reduce the trading margin.

The petitioner updated CSERC on the RPO shortfall status. However, both CSPDCL and SECI informed the Commission about the latter’s inability to reduce the trading margin.

Commission’s Analysis

The Commission considered the petitioner’s submission and approved the PSA, the discovered tariffs, and the trading margin.

Recently, CSERC issued its final tariff order for the financial year 2026, introducing an average hike of 1.89% across consumer categories. The revised rates are effective until March 31, 2026, or until the next order is issued.

In April this year, CSERC approved a tariff of ₹3.50 (~$0.0409)/kWh for procuring 310 MW of solar power under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Component C.

Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time Regulatory Updates to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.