Himachal Pradesh State Load Dispatch Centre (HPSLDC) has issued the draft procedure for the grant of short-term green energy open access (GEOA) through intrastate transmission systems.

Eligible entities must be consumers with a contracted demand or approved load of at least 100 kW, either through a single or multiple connections aggregating at least 100 kW. These multiple connections must be located in the same electricity division of a distribution licensee.

Captive consumers are exempt from the eligibility requirement for contracted demand or approved load, whether through a single or multiple connections.

HPSLDC, which will be the nodal agency for registration of entities intending to avail power, has submitted the draft procedure for short-term GEOA to the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC).

According to the draft procedure, HPSLDC must issue the no-objection certificate/standing clearance for entities to avail power from the intrastate GEOA projects.

All entities willing to avail of GEOA must be registered on the GEOA portal of the central nodal agency. They must also seek the concurrence of the transmission and/or distribution licensee for availing of GEOA on a short-term basis.

In the case of intrastate short-term open-access transactions, the injecting and drawee entities must be located within the state load dispatch center’s control area.

HPSLDC will process the application within seven working days for a new grid-connected entity and within three working days for an existing grid-connected entity.

Projects will be curtailed in the following order: Short-term open access, short-term green energy open access, medium-term open access, medium-term green energy open access, long-term open access, and long-term green energy open access.

The eligible entity must have the required communication/telemetry system in place to facilitate real-time, seamless data communications/orders/information from the SLDC.

The metering will be done in accordance with the provisions of the Central Electricity Authority (Installation and Operation of Meters) Regulations, 2006. The meter must communicate the various energy parameters to SLDC in real time via the Automatic Meter Reading facility.

Green Energy Open Access Charges

The application for scheduling short term open access green energy will be in accordance with the HPERC (Short Term Open Access) Regulations, 2010.

The operating charges will be as per the HPERC (Short Term Open Access) Regulations, 2010.

The cross-subsidy charge, additional surcharge, standby facility, and charges, and banking facility and charges will be as per the HPERC (Terms and Conditions for Green Energy Open Access and Banking) Regulations, 2024.

The Commission will determine the transmission and wheeling charges in its multi-year tariff/aggregate revenue requirement (ARR)/any other order.

If a dedicated transmission system is developed and used for GEOA, these charges will be worked out by the transmission licensee and must be approved by the Commission. GEOA consumers will bear the charges until the surplus capacity is allocated and used for any other persons/purposes.

The Commission will determine the intra-state transmission and distribution losses in its multi-year tariff (MYT)/ARR/any other order.

The Deviation Settlement charges will be as per HPERC (Deviation Settlement Mechanism and Related Matter) Regulations, 2024.

The reactive energy charges will be as per the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Grid Code.

Collection and Discharge of Charges

HPSLDC will raise the operating charges and transmission and wheeling charges to the concerned entities, and they must be deposited within seven days of the bill’s issuance.

The collected transmission and wheeling charges will be disbursed to the concerned transmission and/or distribution licensee.

To raise cross-subsidy charges, additional surcharges, standby charges, and banking charges, HPSLDC will also provide the distribution licensee with a monthly energy statement of consumers availing short-term GEOA.

The DISCOM must raise the cross-subsidy charges, additional surcharges, standby charges, and banking charges, as applicable, approved by the Commission from time to time in its MYT/annual performance review or any other order.

The Deviation Settlement Charges shall be raised and collected as per HPERC (Deviation Settlement Mechanism and Related Matters, Regulations, 2024.

The Reactive Energy Charges will be raised in accordance with the Grid Code.

Penalties

In case of default in payment of the application fee or the charges specified under these regulations, the nodal agency, either on its own or at the request of the distribution licensee, may not schedule the transaction, cancel the scheduling of already scheduled transactions, or refuse to enter any application of these entities in the future until the defaulted amount is paid off.

The entity that defaults on payment of the charges must pay a penalty of 0.04% for each day of default.

In January 2026, HPERC notified a levelized tariff of ₹3.4 (~$0.037)/kWh for solar projects with a capacity of over 3 MW and up to 5 MW in urban and industrial areas for the financial year 2027.

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