Discoms repeatedly ‘fail’ to meet green energy target

But DERC allows them to carry forward their responsibility

In a development which environmentalists term a “setback” for the prospects of green energy in the Capital, the Delhi power regulator has decided not to penalise the discoms despite their repeated “failures” to meet the minimum required renewable power obligations (RPO).

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission has allowed the distribution companies to carry forward their RPO of last year to current fiscal. The regulator’s decision, which is yet to be formally out in its detailed 2014-15 tariff order, came after the discoms requested the regulator to either waive off their RPO or consider carrying forward the commitment to subsequent years.

Claiming that the renewable power available in Delhi is “limited” and “expensive”, the discoms had told the regulator that in the present scenario they were finding it “difficult” to meet the RPO obligations.

The scheme, which became a part of the tariff from financial year 2012-13, makes it obligatory for discoms to source a fixed percentage of the total power from renewable sources.

The chairman of the DERC claimed these are the initial years of the discoms’ experiment with green energy and “they have partially managed to meet the target”.

But senior campaigner from Greenpeace India Abhishek Pratap claimed the Delhi discoms meeting percentage is “almost zero” and, thereby, they should have been penalised by the regulator.

In 2012-13, the target for the discoms was 3 per cent; in 2013-14 it was 4.2 per cent and this year it is 5.4 per cent – which add up to 12.6 per cent. The discoms now have the challenge to meet a target of 13.2 per cent, which Mr. Pratap said the discoms will not deliver given their “non-serious” attitude.

“Since 2012-13, the discoms have largely failed to fulfil their obligation to source a partial share of power from green and renewable sources,” he alleged.

“Delhi stays at the bottom nationally on the issue of meeting its RPO obligations. Even a State like Bihar tries to meet some share of its total obligation on sourcing power from green sources. But the Delhi discoms are hardly bothered,” he said.

“If the discoms cannot meet a target of 4.2 per cent, how are they going to meet the total target of target of 12.6 per cent next year?” questioned Mr. Pratap.