RERC Allows Dual Power Supply For High-Load Consumers To Boost Reliability

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has approved a framework allowing high-tension (HT) and extra-high-tension (EHT) consumers to draw electricity from two independent sources, a move aimed at improving power reliability for essential and critical infrastructure.

The move is likely to aid large power consumers like data centers and others in the hassle-free procurement of renewable energy and grid power at the same time. 

In its order, the state power regulator amended the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code and Connected Matters) Regulations, 2021. It was done through a suo motu petition and representations from state-run discoms.

Who Will Benefit?

The decision is expected to benefit critical service providers such as water supply utilities, data centres and other facilities that require uninterrupted power. Bodies, including the Public Health Engineering Department, had sought regulatory clarity to enable dual-source power as a safeguard against outages.

Under the revised rules, eligible consumers will be permitted to source electricity from two feeders either simultaneously or with one acting as a standby, allowing them to draw anywhere between zero and their full contracted demand from either source.

Discoms' Views 

Discoms told the commission that similar arrangements are already in use at large data centre facilities, citing installations at the NTT Data data centre in Mumbai and the STT Global Data Centres facility in Noida, where summation metering and synchronisation systems are deployed.

The amendment introduces a new Regulation 6.14, which also sets out the financial obligations for consumers opting for dual supply. Applicants will be required to bear the full cost of extending electrical lines or associated plant for both sources. In addition, a proviso added to Schedule I provides that such consumers will be charged double the applicable plant cost.

Implementation Post Notification 

The commission said it had deliberately separated technical supply code changes from tariff-related matters. Issues such as fixed cost recovery or other tariff implications will be examined in separate proceedings under the Electricity Act, 2003, it added.

The draft amendment had been published in December 2025 for public consultation in leading newspapers, with a final hearing held on Jan. 5, 2026. The Third Amendment Regulations, 2026 will take effect once notified in the official gazette and will apply across Rajasthan to all distribution licensees and eligible consumers.

The new rules make buying renewable power far more practical for businesses that need reliable electricity at all hours. Until now, many companies hesitated to procure solar or wind energy because of its intermittent nature. With greater flexibility to integrate battery storage and manage power from multiple sources, renewable energy can now behave more like conventional power—available when it is actually needed. This gives commercial and industrial consumers the confidence to shift a larger share of their electricity demand to clean sources without risking operational disruptions.