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Renewable energy to soon get a separate trading platform

With the increasing share of renewable energy (RE) in the grid and the likelihood of it disturbing the existing power systems, the government is preparing a separate power trading platform. It is to be jointly developed by the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) and Power Trading Corporation of India (PTC), the latter a joint venture of several entities with the government.

The envisaged platform would help states buy, sell and trade renewable-based power. States with surplus RE generation could sell and those ones which want to meet their renewable purchase obligation (RPO) would get a platform to do so. As mandated under a national tariff policy, states have to meet part of their energy requirement from renewable sources. RPO, launched in 2010, makes it obligatory for distribution companies, open-access consumers and captive power producers to meet part of their energy needs through green energy. During 2015-16, barring a few exceptions, none of the states has met its RPO, for fifth year in a row.