• All valid RECs?excluding the RECs applied for Self-retention shall be traded on the second and last Wednesday of every month.
• The eligible entity shall exclude the RECs applied for self-retention in the particular month, if applicable,?for dealing on Power Exchange.

It’s a much needed step by NLDC as it enhances the platform for a better market price discovery. This change would be beneficial for the generators and to the obligated entities, since if the RECs are not traded in the current month, they would not have to wait for an entire month to clear the REC’s.
Also it would promote the developers to meet their RPO as we have seen many regulatory actions coming up in the form of compliance orders and proceedings in several states like Orissa, Kerala, MP and Maharashtra recently.
We also feel that the bi-monthly REC trading could be intensified if quarterly or at least half yearly compliance of RPO is made compulsory instead of yearly. This would push the obligated entities more to gear up and fulfill their obligation and thus benefit the REC market.
 

The main issues highlighted by the CAG are:

• Setting RPO well below the NAPPC target

• States have been lax in discharging their obligations under RPO regulations in every aspect. Many states have not prescribed any penalties (Rajasthan, Karnataka, UP are mentioned in the report), most do not collect data on compliance

• Further, no states (except Uttarakhand, which has imposed a ‘token’ penalty) have imposed penalties. The CAG has estimated that a penalty of Rs 4,234.8 crore was leviable by states, but has not been done

• CAG further mentions that “RPO was further diluted by frequent deferring of RPO targets as seen in the cases of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand”

REConnect Analysis:

It is good to see the CAG stepping into an area which has seen very little enforcement of rules by state regulators, despite the Supreme Court and ApTel giving clear judgements for enforcement.

It is also good to see the extent of penalties not collected being quantified for the first time. By any account, Rs 4,234 crore is a huge number. However, we believe that is is a significant understatement as the assessment by CAG covered Discom’s only – not CPPs and open access consumers who constitute a significant portion of obligated entities in the country.

News coverage of the CAG report can be accessed here.

Green Energy Association submitted that imposition of RPO should not be relaxed in any manner for any of the obligated entities. It has submitted that the provision in the Regulation like power to relax and power to remove difficulties should be exercised judiciously only on exceptional circumstances as per the law and should not be used routinely which would otherwise defeat the object and purpose of the Regulation. Non-availability of REC should be a pre-condition to carry forward the RPO of the OERC (Renewable Purchase Obligation and its compliance) Regulations, 2010. They requested the Commission, not to consider fossil fuel based Co-generation plant under the category of renewable energy and to consider non-fossil fuel based topping up cycle Co-gen plants under renewable energy category.

After reviewing the submitted documents from both the petitioner and the respondents the Commission gave the following order:

• The reasons advanced by parties for non-fulfillment of RPO obligation are unjustified and Commission is not inclined to grant any exception on this matter.
• The obligated entities are allowed to carryover their renewable and co-generation purchase obligation upto 31.03.2015 till 31.08.2016. If they do not purchase the obligated quantity of power, they can purchase REC at least 5% of the obligation per month upto 31.03.2015 from August, 2015 on wards and must comply the arrear obligation in full by 31.08.2016. No further extension of time shall be granted to carry forward the renewable purchase obligation in any circumstance.
• All the obligated entities shall submit compliance report quarterly to OREDA within the above time frame. OREDA shall also submit the quarterly compliance report to the Commission after due scrutiny.
• All obligated entities mentioned in the RPO Regulations, 2010 shall comply with the said Regulations henceforth.

This order superseded all other previous orders issued by the Commission in this regard.

The reason for non- compliance of RPO by the respondents is found inappropriate by the commission, because as per the REC inventory there are 2598847 Solar RECs available in the market as of now.

The table below gives the solar RPO targets for Orissa from year 2012-13 to 2015-16

It is expected that in line with the order, GRIDCO and other obligated entities will comply with the RPO targets, and thus we expect a surge in demand for Solar RECs in the coming months.

The Commission’s order can be accessed?here.

The Commission’s order can be accessed?here.

?Solar – Clearing ratio stood at 1.52% and 1.86% in IEX and PXIL respectively. Solar RECs rose staggeringly from 17,952 in July to 41,928 this trading session, a rise of 133%. This was good signs for solar, as it has recovered again from major fall last MONTH,

Over the longer term, increasing focus on RPO both from the courts and from regulators is expected to increase demand. Over the last several months many developments have taken place, including the draft Electricity Act, orders from the ApTel and from the Supreme Court. The most recent development was the release of the draft of Renewable Energy Act 2015. An analysis of the Act can?here

?Analysis of Trading:-

?Non Solar – Clearing ratio in exchange were at 1.33% and 1.15% in IEX and PXIL respectively for Non Solar RECs. A total of 155,271 RECs were redeemed in this trading session. There was seen a fall of approx. 4 % in the current trading session w.r.t to June in Non Solar RECs.

?Solar – Clearing ratio stood at 0.84% and 0.29% in IEX and PXIL respectively. Solar RECs remained at 17,952, which is a show towards a downfall in the demand in the solar RECs segment; it shows a fall of 5640 RECs from June trading session.

Over the longer term, increasing focus on RPO both from the courts and from regulators is expected to increase demand. Over the last many months several developments have taken place including the draft Electricity Act, orders from the ApTel and from the Supreme Court. The most recent development was the release of?the draft of Renewable Energy Act 2015. An analysis can be read here.
Team REConnect

In May’s trading session, 256,579 Non Solar and 83,189 Solar REC’s were traded through Power Exchange (a total of 339,768 REC’s), which was more than 4 times the traded volume in April.

The significant jump appears to a direct result of the Supreme Court judgment. The SC gave its judgment upholding the applicability of RPO on open access and captive consumers. The judgment is expected to have far-reaching impact as stay on RPO in many states will become redundant. It is also expected that SERC will take a more stringent approach to RPO enforcement.

?Analysis of Trading:-

?Non Solar –?Total of 2.5 Lakh REC’s were cleared in this trading session. IEX and PXIL had a clearing ratio of 3.6% and 0.4%. Non Solar REC’s traded were approx.3.5 time’s higher w.r.t previous month.

Solar –?REC’s redeemed this month were 83 Thousand, which were an 8-fold increase in number w.r.t. previous month. The clearing ratio was 5.51% and 0.89% in IEX and PXIL respectively. Demand for solar REC’s significantly improved this month.

The REC trade results in the FY 2014-15 is summarized below for your reference.

Non-Solar


Solar


Media Coverage – The Hindu Business Line
BY: Team REConnect