The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has issued a draft amendment to its Green Energy Open Access Regulations, 2024, to remove the requirement that consumers be connected at 11 kV or above to qualify for green energy open access.

Under the draft amendment, eligibility would be determined based on a load threshold of 100 kW or more. Consumers with a contracted demand or sanctioned load of at least 100 kW, either through a single connection or multiple connections aggregating 100 kW or more within the area of supply of the same distribution licensee, would qualify for green energy open access.

Stakeholders can submit their feedback on the proposed amendment by May 5, 2026.

The proposed amendment deletes the voltage-related condition from the definitions of entity and green energy open access consumer, as well as from Regulation 8 (a), which specifies eligibility criteria.

The draft also includes a proviso that, in the case of consumers setting up green energy projects for captive use, there will be no load limitation with respect to their contracted demand or approved load with distribution companies.

The proposed changes are expected to widen participation in green energy procurement by enabling smaller commercial and industrial consumers to access renewable power beyond those connected at higher voltage levels.

The move comes alongside broader regulatory changes in Delhi’s open access framework. The Commission recently introduced a phased trajectory to eliminate the additional surcharge for open access and general network access consumers, with the charge set to decline linearly over four years from the date of access.

The regulator noted that the amendment is being carried out in line with the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2024, which stipulate that the additional surcharge should not exceed the per-unit fixed cost of power purchase of the distribution company concerned and mandates its progressive reduction and eventual elimination.

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