The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued a supplementary draft notification to the draft CERC (Sharing of Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, proposing revised eligibility criteria for inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charge waivers for renewable energy projects delayed due to transmission system unavailability.
Under the draft, the waiver category will be determined by the later of the connectivity start date communicated by the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL) when the power purchase agreement (PPA) or power sale agreement (PSA) was signed, and the scheduled commercial operation date specified in the contract.
Eligible wind, solar and hybrid projects must have a PPA or PSA of at least seven years signed by March 31, 2027, achieve commercial operation within two months of their general network access (GNA) becoming effective, and submit the relevant contracts to CTUIL and the National Load Despatch Centre by April 30, 2027. The proposed waiver ranges from 100 per cent to 25 per cent, depending on the applicable date slab, with no waiver for baseline dates after June 30, 2028. The waiver is subject to contract tenure and a maximum of 25 years from commercial operation.