Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Gujarat government to bring policy for solar power generation in farms

The Gujarat government is preparing to launch a new solar power policy with special focus on farmers where they can give their lease land for installating solar panels and take crops. The farmers will get rentals for the land and also a share in profit as return.

Sources in the governme-nt said, "The state government is going to announce this policy soon and special MoUs will be made with farmers. Several... Read more..

Bid submission date for 5,000 MW solar projects likely to be extended

The date of submission of bids for 5,000 MW inter-state transmission system (ISTS)-based solar projects (2000 MW and 3000 MW capacity) under the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is likely to be extended by a couple of weeks. A pre-bid meeting decided to issue revised tender documents. The last date for submission of bids for 2,000 MW (8×250 MW) was May 25, while that for 3000 MW (12×250 MW) was June 5.

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Cabinet may soon consider FAME-II scheme with Rs 9,381 cr outlay

The second phase of the scheme will be restricted to new energy vehicles used for public transport, commercial purposes and high-speed two-wheelers, officials said.
The Union Cabinet  may  soon  consider  for approval the proposal entailing financial support of Rs  9 , 381  crore in the second phase of the FAME India scheme  spanning five years to boost adoption of energy-efficient vehicles in the country, official sources said. 

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WTO sets up panel to resolve India-US renewables case; hearing soon

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has set up a panel to resolve the dispute raised by India against the US with regard to the policies of eight American states in the renewable energy sector. 

India had alleged that the domestic content requirement norms imposed by these eight US states are inconsistent with global trade rules. 

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Tata Power plans $5 billion push to boost renewable capacity

Tata Power Co., one of India’s largest private power utilities, is planning to invest as much as $5 billion to ramp up its renewable capacity fourfold, according to its top executive.

The 103-year-old power utility plans to increase its clean-energy capacity to 12,000 megawatts by 2028, chief executive officer (CEO) Praveer Sinha said. That would require an investment of as much as 40 million rupees ($594,... Read more..

Kerala and NTPC sign MoU for increasing solar power generation

The Kerala State Electricity Board has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Thermal Power Corporation for increasing solar power generation in the state. 

The MoU, signed yesterday, also includes an agreement to set up a 15 MW solar power unit at the NTPC complex in Kayamkulam, an official release said here.

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China wants polluting power plants to sell their electricity contracts

China plans to encourage low-efficient and polluting power plants to sell their electricity contracts to renewable energy power generators, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said in a statement on Friday

China, the world's leading coal consumer, decided to upgrade its fossil-fuel dependent energy structure and boost consumption of clean fuel, as part of its drive to curb carbon intensity by 2020 and... Read more..

March 2019 deadline for cleaning Ganga, improving water quality: Nitin Gadkari

Ahead of next years’s Lok Sabha elections, the Centre has set March 2019 as the new deadline to clean river Ganga, and ensure a “70 to 80 percent” improvement in its water quality. Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday said that the government’s spending this fiscal will witness a spike as more projects under the flagship Namami Gange scheme will be completed.

The cleaning of the Ganga was... Read more..

Relief for Indian solar producers as government reneges on import duty

India has scrapped a duty on solar modules, making it easier to import the products after a sudden change in customs policy last year led to a logjam of shipments at Indian ports.

Several consignments of solar modules, worth more than $150 million in total, were held up for more than three months at ports after Indian customs' officials in August demanded that some of them be classified as "electric motors... Read more..

Despite the surge in renewables, emission levels almost unchanged

The rise of renewable sources of energy and their gallant victories over fossil fuels — particularly coal — is now legendary.

Last year, India added 11,788 MW of renewable energy capacity, twice as much as coal and hydro put together (5,400 MW). An estimate has it that 65 per cent of coal-derived electricity in India is sold at prices higher than new wind and solar.

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NTPC solar auction tariffs hover at Rs. 2.8

Tariffs hovered at Rs 2.79-2.80 per unit at NTPC’s latest auction for 750 MW at Ananthapuram Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, with bidding continuing at the time of going to press. 

The tariffs are already below those offered at solar auctions conducted so far this year, although still above the record low. 

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To curb pollution, Telanagana to move to e-vehicles

In order to curb pollution, the Telangana government announced that it will soon introduce electric vehicles in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) in Hyderabad.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday said that the government will encourage use of electric vehicles in the city to make it pollution-free. “We need to encourage 100 per... Read more..