Jaipur: To tide over a severe power shortage, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has allowed state discoms to procure up to 1,300MW of hydropower from Himachal Pradesh govt at Rs 16.62 per unit for four months from Nov 2026 to Feb 2027.The approval allows Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Ltd to proceed with a negotiated bilateral arrangement, with the commission saying in its Oct 29 order thatthe decision was made due to exceptional circumstances, including acute power shortage, limited availability in the short-term market and the need to maintain grid discipline.The commission clarified that the approval should not be treated as a precedent and that short-term procurement should ordinarily be through competitive bidding or power exchanges.TOI had reported that govt has tapped Dholpur gas plant, which costs Rs 46 per unit, to meet peak demand.The power supply position deteriorated in Sept, when average demand rose to 14,518MW against 12,340MW in the corresponding month last year. Peak demand touched 17,557MW.At the same time, availability from RVUNL generating stations averaged 4,795MW against an expected 5,800MW, partly due to prolonged outages at Kalisindh Unit-1 and Kota Unit-6 and constraints in coal availability.The commission noted that Rajasthan could face substantial deficits during morning and evening peak hours in the Rabi season. The discoms have projected an average deficit of 3,255MW during morning hours in Dec and 3,032MW in Jan. The corresponding evening deficits are estimated at 1,650 MW and 1,872MW, respectively.DD Agarwal, director at Samta Power, said, “The procurement is expected to provide additional support during these peak hours and allow RVUNL to undertake overdue annual maintenance of its generating units, which had been deferred because of the power crisis.”The commission also took note of the state load dispatch centre’s concerns over repeated overdrawal from the national grid during peak hours under low-frequency conditions.SLDC warned that continued deficits could lead to grid security risks, deviation charges and unplanned load shedding, particularly affecting agricultural consumers.RERC, however, has asked RUVITL to continue exploring cheaper sources of peak power wherever available.GFX Matter: Demand Catches Discoms off GuardSupply arrangement is only for 4 months, from Nov 2026 to Feb 2027Power shortage worsened in Sept with peak demand touching 17,557MWMorning peak deficit could touch 3,255MW in Dec and 3,032MW in JanEvening peak deficit projected at 1,650MW in Dec and 1,872MW in JanSLDC flagged repeated overdrawal from the national grid, warning of deviation chargesRERC says approval is exceptional and will not set a precedentDirects RUVITL to expedite battery energy storage for firm renewable energy
