The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued the draft CERC (Sharing of Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, proposing changes to transmission charge waivers and transmission deviation calculations, particularly for renewable energy projects, energy storage systems (ESS), and entities with connectivity under the General Network Access Regulations.
The draft proposes that battery energy storage systems (BESS) integrated with a renewable generating station or hybrid generating station, where the BESS was included in the connectivity, will be eligible for transmission charge waiver for up to 25 years from the commercial operation date of the generating station, subject to the applicable waiver trajectory. It also specifies the treatment of BESS charging from co-located renewable sources and other sources. ESS procuring power through the Green Day Ahead Market may count such energy towards the 51 per cent energy requirement for transmission charge waiver, subject to specified certification and accounting requirements. For hydro pumped storage ESS falling short of the 51 per cent requirement, the waiver will be calculated contract-wise. Further, the draft provides a transmission charge waiver for eligible wind, solar and wind-solar hybrid projects delayed due to non-availability of transmission systems, based on their original firm connectivity date, subject to specified conditions. It also revises transmission deviation calculations for certain entities with dual State Transmission Utility and Central Transmission Utility connectivity and requires the implementing agency to publish revised detailed procedures for implementing the amendment within 60 days.