On 10th April, 2026, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission issued the draft OERC (Renewable Consumption Obligation, Distributed Renewable Energy Sources and Renewable Energy Linked Concepts) Regulations, 2026 in accordance with Section 181 of the Electricity Act, 2003. Objections and suggestions have been invited up to 8th May, 2026.
Our submissions on the draft regulations broadly focus on the following aspects:

1. The need to avoid prescribing the RCO trajectory retrospectively.
2. Linking the minimum storage requirement for Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) systems to their installed capacity in percentage terms, while relaxing the requirement for smaller systems (below 100 kW).
3. Specifying the trajectory for Energy Storage Obligations (ESO) for obligated entities, considering the importance of energy storage for renewable energy integration.
4. Clarifying the definition of “consumption”, as the draft regulations use different terms without explicitly defining or explaining them.
5. Strengthening the RCO framework by:
   • prescribing timelines for data reporting and compliance verification;
   • improving compliance reporting requirements; and
   • treating delays in submission of information as non-compliance with the regulations.