The government on Tuesday notified Green Open Access Rules, 2022, to further accelerate India’s renewable energy programme. 

These rules were notified for promoting generation, purchase and consumption of green energy, including through waste-to-energy plants. It enabled a simplified procedure for open access to green power, the Union Power Ministry said in a statement.

“'In order to further accelerate our ambitious renewable energy programmes, with the end goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and green energy for all, Green Open Access Rules, 2022, have been notified on June 6, 2022,”' the ministry said. 

Consumers could now demand green power from discoms (power distribution companies), it said, adding: “Every consumer becomes stakeholder to contribute in achieving India’s commitment of 500 gw of non-fossil fuel by 2030.”' According to the rules, the green open access is allowed to any consumer, and the limit of open access transaction has been reduced from 1 mw to 100 kw for green energy to enable small consumers also to purchase renewable power through open access.

There will be transparency in the approval process of the open access applications. According to the rules, the approvals are to be granted in 15 days, or else it will be deemed to have been approved, subject to fulfilment of technical requirements. It will be through a national portal.

On the tariff, the statement said: “tariff for green energy shall be determined separately by the appropriate commission, which shall comprise of the average pooled power purchase cost of the renewable energy, cross-subsidy charges, if any and service charges covering the prudent cost of the distribution licensee for providing the green energy to the consumers”.

The rules will help streamline the overall approval process for granting open access, including timely approval, to improve predictability of cash flows for renewable power producers. It will also bring uniformity in the application procedure.