Jaipur: The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has slipped to the 35th position out of 36 states — above Tripura — in a national report released by the Power Foundation of India and the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) Ltd.RERC received a ‘D’ grade, scoring 39 out of 100, with the report flagging major gaps in planning, financial management and renewable energy oversight. Rajasthan scored 0 out of 32 in the ‘resource adequacy’ category, which the report said leaves the grid highly vulnerable to sudden demand spikes and supply shortages.The report said RERC failed to define a planning reserve margin or impose penalties for non-compliance with power supply targets. It also noted that the commission did not approve mandatory three-year capital expenditure plans for transmission and distribution utilities, stalling infrastructure upgrades.On finances, Rajasthan scored 5 out of 25, with the report pointing to heavy reliance on “regulatory assets” — deferring current costs to future consumers instead of adjusting tariffs to match actual power costs. By the end of 2022–23, cumulative financial gaps for Jaipur and Ajmer discoms had crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, worsened by delays in tariff orders and “true-up” adjustments.Despite Rajasthan’s reputation as India’s solar capital, the state scored 9 out of 15 on renewable energy. The report cited the absence of enforceable penalties for missing renewable purchase obligations (RPOs) and a lack of clear targets for distributed renewable energy, such as rooftop solar.The report noted positives in administrative transparency and consumer convenience, including clear rules for appointing regulatory officers and efficiency in releasing new connections. Sector experts, however, warned that these procedural gains are being overshadowed by “the system’s fundamental insolvency”.“Without urgent reforms, particularly cost-reflective tariffs and rigorous resource planning, the state risks mounting debt and declining reliability, far removed from the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision of a modern, energy-secure nation,” the report said.
