The Central Electricity Authority has released a new circular on September 10, 2025, setting clear directions for generating stations owned by Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to identify their units for captive purposes. This directive has been issued to ensure compliance with the Electricity Rules 2005 and follows the procedure already laid down for verifying the captive status of generating plants and their users, especially in cases where the plants and users are spread across more than one state.

As per the circular, any SPV-owned generating station that wants its captive status verified for the financial year 2025-26 will now have to submit detailed information. The requirements include the name and address of the captive generating plant and the SPV itself. The plant must also be classified based on its type, whether it is thermal, hydro, renewable, or a hybrid system, along with its total installed capacity measured in megawatts.

The circular further directs SPVs to provide connection details, specifying whether the plant is connected to the Central Transmission Utility or the State Transmission Utility and at what voltage. Another important detail is the list of distribution licensees whose areas cover the captive users. The most critical requirement is the identification of specific generating units within the plant that will be used for captive purposes. These details must include the name or number of the unit and its capacity. The CEA has underlined that authenticated generation data of these identified units will be necessary for verification.

The intimation of these details must be sent to the Verifying Authority, the concerned Distribution Licensee, and the relevant Regional or State Load Despatch Center. By enforcing this procedure, the CEA aims to bring transparency and ensure proper verification of captive status in line with existing rules. The circular has been signed by Prateek Jaitwal, Deputy Director (Legal), on behalf of the authority.