The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) recently made an important decision regarding the petition filed by three parties: M/s Clean Coal Enterprises Private Limited (Unit-4), M/s SB Hospitality, and M/s Raipur Green Energy Private Limited. These petitioners requested an exemption from the rule that requires a dedicated feeder to use open access for solar power at the user end. This exemption was sought under clause 5(5) of the CSERC (Connectivity and Intra-State Open Access) Regulations, 2011.

M/s Clean Coal Enterprises Private Limited operates a 3.6 MW solar power plant located in Village Sitapar, Simga, District Balodabazar-Bhatapara. They planned to inject the solar power generated into the 33 KV substation at Village Hathbandh, Simga, which is managed by Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL). The company had already received the necessary permissions for grid connectivity and synchronization from CSPDCL in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively.

M/s SB Hospitality and M/s Raipur Green Energy Private Limited are consumers of CSPDCL, receiving their electricity supply at 11 KV from two different 33/11 KV substations in Raipur district. Both companies planned to draw solar power from the solar plant operated by M/s Clean Coal Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Notably, both the injection point of solar power and the drawal points were within the same distribution licensee’s system, with no involvement of the intra-State transmission system.

The petitioners requested to inject and draw solar power under long-term open access without building a dedicated feeder at the drawal points, which is generally required. They cited clause 5(5) of the Open Access Regulations, 2011, which allows the Commission to exempt bulk consumers from this requirement if certain conditions are met. The petitioners also committed to installing the necessary metering equipment, developing data communication facilities for the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC), and accepting any load restrictions imposed on the common distribution feeder.

CSPDCL, the first respondent in the case, confirmed that M/s Clean Coal Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. had the required grid connectivity permission. They agreed that the Commission could consider granting the exemption, provided that the petitioners install ABT meters with automatic meter reading (AMR) and Remote Terminal Units (RTU) for real-time data communication. CSPDCL also insisted that the petitioners agree not to claim compensation for any failure or shutdown of the relevant 11 kV feeders and submit an undertaking to this effect.

The second respondent, Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Company Limited (CSPTCL), raised a concern regarding the eligibility of the petitioners for exemption. They argued that only bulk consumers—those receiving supply at 33 kV and above—can be exempted from the dedicated feeder requirement. Since the drawal points in this case were at 11 KV, CSPTCL claimed that the consumers did not qualify as bulk consumers.

The Commission carefully reviewed this objection. It referred to the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources) Regulations, 2019, and its amendments. These regulations allow consumers with a contract demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW or more to generate and consume power, regardless of the supply voltage. The Commission noted that these specific regulations take precedence over the general open access regulations. Additionally, these regulations exempt solar plants up to 500 kW from the need for dedicated feeders, RTU installation, and main and check ABT meters.

Based on these points, the Commission decided that the petitioners could be granted an exemption from the dedicated feeder requirement. The petitioners had agreed to meet the conditions set by CSPDCL and CSPTCL and had submitted the necessary undertakings. Therefore, the Commission ruled that the petitioners’ solar power plant could avail of open access without building a dedicated feeder, in line with the relevant regulations.

This decision reflects the Commission’s willingness to support renewable energy use while ensuring proper monitoring and control through metering and communication facilities. It also clarifies that the exemption rules apply not only to high-voltage bulk consumers but also to smaller consumers under specific renewable energy regulations. This move is expected to make it easier for consumers in Chhattisgarh to utilize solar power efficiently through open access arrangements.