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REGULATORY PULSE
EDITION 2 · AUGUST 2026 |
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Advisors for Energy & Infrastructure Markets |
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 | For The Industrial Power Buyer Two Regulators Put A Price On Delay Between 21 July and 30 August, the Centre moved to make its own reforms bite. CERC priced the extra time it is willing to give delayed renewable projects, and the CEA proposed a materially higher technical bar for anything connected at 33 kV and above. Uttar Pradesh admitted the first live test of parallel power distribution, for a data centre in Noida. This edition sets out what changed, and what it means for your open access, captive and group captive plans. | 14 Aug CERC Order Delayed RE projects can now buy more time on GNA milestones | | 30 Days UPERC Notice Objection window on UP’s first parallel distribution licence case | | 31 Aug OERC Deadline Last day to comment on Odisha’s new distributed solar rules |
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 | CERC · Petition 5/SM/2026 · Order Dated 14 Aug 2026 CERC Prices A Way To Buy More Time On GNA Milestones The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved a Milestone Extension Charge framework, in Petition No. 5/SM/2026, for renewable projects holding General Network Access. Developers who are behind on land documentation, financial closure or commercial operation date can now pay an escalating per MW per day charge for extra time, rather than face automatic revocation of their transmission connectivity. Charges rise the longer a developer takes: land and financial closure extensions run from roughly ₹1,000 to ₹1,300 per MW per day, while commercial operation date extensions climb toward ₹6,000 per MW per day beyond nine months. Part of the charges collected is earmarked to help lower interstate transmission tariffs over time. What This Means For You If your open access or group captive project is riding on a developer’s construction timeline, ask whether they intend to use this window. The extension fee is a real cost your developer will look to recover, so it belongs in your landed tariff conversation now. |
| CEA · Draft Regulations · Released Jul 2026, Under Comment CEA Proposes A Tougher Technical Bar For Grid Connectivity The Central Electricity Authority has floated a full replacement for its 2007 connectivity standards. Solar, wind and hybrid generators would need to ride through voltage disturbances rather than tripping offline, and supply reactive power to support the grid, while battery storage above 50 MW would need black start capability when directed by load despatch centres. The draft applies to anything connected at 33 kV and above, covering generating companies, captive plants, battery storage operators and bulk consumers running inverter based equipment, for both new and existing installations. This is a technical and capital undertaking, not a paperwork exercise. What This Means For You If your captive or group captive solar, wind or storage connects at 33 kV or higher, raise this draft with your EPC or O&M contractor now. Retrofit and testing costs are easier to plan for before the rules are notified than after. |
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 | | UPERC · Uttar Pradesh · Public Notice, ~11 Aug 2026 UP Regulator Admits The First Real Test Of Parallel Power Distribution The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has advanced an application from Adani Energy Solutions for a parallel power distribution licence limited to a data centre park in Sector 62, Noida, accepting that the applicant is technically and financially qualified to distribute power within the facility. UPERC has directed a public notice and a 30 day objection window before it rules further. The licence, if granted, would be confined to areas covered by valid permissions and letters of comfort rather than a general licence to compete across the discom’s territory. What This Means For You This is an early, concrete test of the multiple licensee model at the centre of the pending Electricity Amendment Bill. Data centre and campus style consumers elsewhere should watch this case; it may preview options that extend beyond one Noida park. |
| | OERC · Odisha · Draft Regulations, Comments Due 31 Aug 2026 Odisha Splits Out A Standalone Framework For Rooftop And Behind The Meter Solar The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued a fresh draft, the OERC (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources) Regulations 2026, separating distributed renewable energy rules from the state’s broader renewable purchase obligation framework because the Commission considers the two matters distinct. The draft covers systems up to 10 MW and sets out six metering mechanisms, including net metering, net billing, gross metering, group net metering, virtual net metering and behind the meter arrangements, along with transmission and wheeling exemptions for eligible projects. What This Means For You If you run or are evaluating rooftop, group captive or virtual net metered solar in Odisha, the metering option you pick under this framework will shape your savings. Comments close 31 August 2026, so review the draft before that window shuts. |
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 | | | Uttar Pradesh | UPERC has repealed its 2022 captive plant verification regulations and aligned the state framework with the Centre’s Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2026, moving captive and group captive verification to the two tier nodal agency and NLDC process. Verifications already in progress continue under the old rules through the transition. | | Uttarakhand | UPCL has petitioned UERC for an additional surcharge of ₹0.88 per unit on open access consumption for the six months from 1 October 2026. The Commission has not yet ruled; open access consumers in the state should budget for the possibility and can make representations before an order is issued. | | Gujarat | GERC‘s interim ₹1.50 per unit banking charge under the Green Energy Open Access framework is due to lapse on 31 August 2026, with a further amendment under consideration for what replaces it. Gujarat based green open access consumers should watch for the Commission’s next order before relying on the current rate. |
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 | | | | Suggested Actions This Fortnight |
| | 1. | Check your project’s GNA milestone status. If your open access or group captive developer is behind on land, financial closure or commissioning, CERC’s new charge framework offers a paid extension instead of losing connectivity outright. | | 2. | Flag CEA’s draft connectivity rules to your EPC or O&M contractor. Plants connected at 33 kV or above should start budgeting for grid forming and voltage ride through compliance ahead of notification. | | 3. | Track UPERC’s Adani parallel licence case if you operate a data centre or large campus. It is the first live test of multiple licensee power supply and may open new procurement options. | | 4. | Review Odisha’s draft DRES Regulations before 31 August if you run rooftop or virtual net metered solar there. The metering mechanism you choose will affect your savings under the new framework. | | 5. | Budget contingency for open access costs in Uttarakhand and Gujarat from 1 October. Both states have live proceedings that could raise your landed cost for H2 FY 2026-27. |
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| Advisors
For
Energy & Infrastructure Markets | | Gokul Prakash Chief Executive Officer
Lamberton Power
Mobile: +91 9987705888
Email: gokul@lambertonpower.com
Website: www.lambertonpower.com |
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