Piyush Goyal Launches The First of Its Kind Mobile App- URJA MITRA App to empowers citizens by real time information sharing on power supply
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, and Mines, Piyush Goyal, while presiding over the launch of ‘URJA MITRA App’ and inauguration of the ‘Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme’ here today, said that the Government is engaged in preparing the Nation to truly get 24×7 affordable, quality and uninterrupted adequate power. Minister Goyal noted that “Power today, comes from information sharing and not by withholding it. URJA MITRA empowers citizens by real time information sharing on power supply.” He further added that the app is a first of its kind application which provides a central platform, Web-Portal (www.urjamitra.com) as well as Mobile App (iOS version and android version), for State Power Distribution utilities to disseminate power outage information to urban/rural power consumers across India through SMS/email/push notifications. Nevertheless, Goyal directed the Ministry officials to strive harder and ensure that progressively the need to send messages for power outages should decline to zero, thereby ensuring uninterrupted 24×7 power for all. The Minister also informed that power consumers across the nation would have prior intimation of expected duration and cause of scheduled power outages and post fault intimation of unscheduled power outages duration. Consumer can also view real time power outages in any part of the country, lodge a complaint on power outages in its area. Complaints can also be lodged on helpline number 1912. Empowerment of all section of society has been ensured by providing vernacular mobile apps. Field staff can trigger power outage and take corrective action on outage complaints etc, he added. Commenting on the utility of Urja Mitra App, Shri Goyal said that this will be the life changing for millions of people in this country. “I would like to urge all the states to join in this excellent initiative to be a part of this effort so that anywhere in the country, if there is a problem of power outage, the people know about it in advance and present scenario. It will help save many lives in hospitals, help people better plan their lives like study schedules, daily household chores etc.”, the minister added. Speaking on the Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme, Shri Goyal informed that the Government has launched ‘Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme’ to monitor the quantity and quality parameters of power supply in rural areas of the country. The entire data shall also be hosted on National Power Portal (NPP) on real time basis and may be accessed by various stake holders through web services. The Minister informed that the Government has set December 2017 as the deadline to achieve 100% rural feeder monitoring by installing additional meters and modems on all feeders across the country, in order to facilitate real time communication of faults appearing in the power supply. Further, these meters would be geo-tagged to pin point the cause and location of the fault and address it at the earliest, he added. Goyal also announced that on 14th April 2017, birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Uttar Pradesh will be executing ‘Power for All’ document with the Government of India. Uttar Pradesh will become the last state to join ‘Power for All’ initiative, he added. Interacting with the audience, P.K. Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power, said that the app is a milestone and it will bring pressure on the system to improve itself. It is a proactive Citizen-Government Connect that will bring in transparency, accountability in the power supply system in the country. Shri Pujari said that already 8 crore consumers have joined on the Urja Mitra app which have resulted in their empowerment. It is expected that all power consumers in the country to make use of the app and get empowered, he added. Addressing the gathering, Arun Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, Power, said that approximately seventy percent of the population resides in rural India. In order to ensure quality of life in rural India, it is of paramount importance to improve the quality and availability of power supply as it has direct relation with quality of life and socio economic upliftment of all sections of society. In order to get a complete picture of the entire power distribution network in rural part of the country, it is essential to capture real time power supply parameters of rural India. Also present on the occasion were Smt. Shalini Prasad, Additional Secretary, Power, Shri Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary (Energy), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Shri R.K. Verma, Chairperson, CEA and other senior officials of the Ministry and State Power Departments of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. DeMarcus Ware Jersey
Solar power tariff hits a new low at Rs 3.15 levelised rate
Solar power tariff has hit a new low at Rs 3.15 levelised tariff in the reverse auction carried out for 250 Megawatt project at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The lowest bid quoted by Solairdirect breaks the earlier record of Rs 3.3 levelised tariff achieved at Rewa Ultra Mega Power Project by Mahindra, Acme and Solenergi. “Clean affordable power for all: Solar achieves another record low of Rs 3.15/ unit (flat rate) during auction in Kadapa, AP by NTPC,” power minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet. The Kadapa solar park has a total capacity of 1,000 Megawatt After Solairdirect, the next lowest bids were quoted by Ostro at Rs 3.16 and Canadian at Rs 3.39. Following them were the bids in range of Rs 4.09 – Rs 4.68 quoted by Greenko, Azure, Mahoba and Mahindra. Atlanta Falcons Authentic Jersey
Need white paper on rot in Uttar Pradesh’s power sector: Piyush Goyal
A white paper is needed on the Uttar Pradesh power sector to expose the “deep rot” of past 15 years, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said today, claiming he has seen some “mind-boggling and terrible” data on the situation. The state will finally ink this week the 24×7 ‘Power for All’ (PFA) document, which aims to provide round-the-clock affordable electricity. “Uttar Pradesh is the only state which has not signed Power for All (agreement with the Centre). I am delighted to share that on April 14, 2017, on birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Ambejkarji, we shall be executing power for all document with Uttar Pradesh…in Lucknow,” Goyal said at the launch of a Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme and Urja Mitra application and portal. “Some of the statistics which came out in last two weeks are mind-boggling and terrible. I cannot even share it with you,” he said. “Some of the figures and statistics that have come out, have strengthened my feeling that we should come out with a white paper on state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh so that the people know that deep rot that has been set into the system for the past 15 years.” He expressed the hope that with the change of guard in Uttar Pradesh, the Power Ministry would be able to make it a model state even in the area of electricity and power supply. Goyal said: “I am glad that my officials and official of UP started working on it (the agreement) on election counting day (March 11) itself. The whole system was activated on the evening of March 11, 2017. “You see the power of good governance and change that the same officials, who until March 10, were unable to enter into that agreement. Now it is clear that they were able to do it but possibly the politically masters were holding them back.” Talking about the Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme, the minister informed that at present around 30,000 rural feeder meters are connected to national power portal and the remaining 75,000 will be connected by December, 2017. The Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme is to monitor the quality and quantity parameters of power supply in rural areas of the country. The entire data shall also be hosted on National Power Portal on real time basis and may be accessed by various stake holders through web services. The Urja Mitra launched today by the minister, is an application which provides a central platform (web-portal www.urjamitra.com as well as mobile app) for state power distribution utilities to disseminate power outage information to rural as well as urban consumers through SMS/email/push notifications. Consumers can also view real time power outages in any part of the country, lodge complaints. Royce Freeman Womens Jersey
UP vows 24×7 power by 2018; waives surcharge on power dues
aking its second biggest decision since coming to power, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to waive surcharge on electricity dues and gave nod to an agreement with the Centre to ensure 24X7 power supply by October 2018. The MoU between UP and the Centre would be signed in the presence of Yogi and Union power minister Piyush Goyal. This was decided in the second cabinet meeting of the Aditya Nath Yogi government in Lucknow on Tuesday. After the meeting, UP energy minister Shirkant Sharma told reporters that the surcharge waiver would cost the state exchequer around Rs3,500 crore. Also, in a first, the UP government has decided to purchase potatoes directly from farmers to cut wastage of the crop due to shortage of cold storages. Coming in support of the UP government, the Centre approved procurement of 1 lakh metric tonne (MT) of potatoes in the state under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) during 2016-17 crop year (July-June). The approval is in tune with the UP cabinet’s decision to procure potatoes so that the farmers are not forced to sell it at throwaway prices in summer. The purchase will be made at Rs 4,870 per MT. The agriculture ministry will provide an additional Rs 1,217.50 per MT for overhead expenses. After the cabinet meeting, energy minister Shirkant Sharma told reporters that the price would save the farmers from incurring any loss. The move comes days after the UP government’s decision to waive farm loan of small and marginal farmers and speed up wheat procurement drive at MSP in the state. In another decision, the government gave nod to short-term mining policy, allowing district magistrates to give permits for mining for a limited period to plug the shortfall of sand and building material. The permit, to be given in 10 days, will be issued through e-tendering, health minister and UP government spokesman Siddharth Nath Singh said. Vernon Butler Authentic Jersey
South Africa’s energy minister delays signing IPPs contracts – report
South Africa’s newly appointed energy minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has postponed the signing of agreements between state-run power utility Eskom and renewable energy Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Business Report newspaper said on Tuesday. South Africa is diversifying its energy mix away from an over-reliance on coal-power plants to include greener wind and solar projects. The deadline for signing was on Tuesday, but Kubayi’s office asked for the signing to be delayed until she had met with public enterprises -minister Lynne Brown, who oversees Eskom, the newspaper said. “The process is in their hands. Once they have met and they have agreed on this and that, then we as Eskom we will sign,” Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told Reuters. Officials at the energy minister’s office were not immediately available to comment. Producers of solar and wind power have put pressure on Eskom to sign more new renewable energy contracts. Industry experts have said that Eskom slowed the pace of agreeing new renewable energy contracts after power supply in South Africa stabilized last year, following shortages in 2015 that led to rolling power cuts. Lester Hayes Authentic Jersey
Tata, Adani compensatory tariff case: A timeline
In a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Tata Power Company and Adani Power were disallowed to charge compensatory tariff for power supplied from their respective projects in Mundra to distribution companies. The court said the companies cannot claim any benefit under the force majeure or sudden unforeseen event clause as “changes in the cost of fuel, or the agreement becoming onerous to perform, are not treated as force majeure events under the PPA (power purchase agreement) itself. The apex court also said power companies can’t raise preset tariffs if fuel becomes costlier due to changes in laws overseas. Here is a timeline of what happened: 2006: Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) issues public notice inviting proposals for long-term power supply. Haryana utilities also initiate a separate competitive bidding process for purchase of 2,000 MW on a long-term basis. 2007: Tata Power winds bids with Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana to sell power at Rs 2.26 per unit. 2008: Adani Power commissions its 1,980-MW coal-based power project in Mundra. Power purchase agreement with utilities in Gujarat and Haryana signed at Rs 2.35 per unit. 2012: Tata Power commissions 4,000-MW ultra-mega power project in Mundra. 2010: The Indonesian coal price regulations change by linking it to international market prices. This leads to cost escalation for Tata Power, Adani who were importing coal for their respective projects. 2012: Adani and Tata go to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) seeking relief from increased coal prices and other allied costs. Both the companies ask for force majeure and seek to pass through cost to state distribution companies Feb 2014: CERC orders compensatory tariff of 52 paisa per unit for Tata and 41 paisa for Adani. Apr 2014: Power procuring states go to Appellate Tribunal of Electricity (APTEL) contesting CERC’s decision. Jul 2014: APTEL upholds decision, allowing Tata Power and Adani Power to charge higher tariffs from state utilities since March 2014 on account of a rise in the cost of imported fuel. Aug 2014: The procurers reach Supreme Court contesting APTEL’s order. SC asks the tribunal to expedite the matter. Hit by increased coal prices, companies such as GMR, GVK and Reliance Power also followed suit to seek relief May 2016: APTEL issues judgment asking CERC to compute the compensation for Tata and Adani, according to the provisions under their respective PPAs. Dec 2016: CERC again allows the power companies to charge the additional cost of coal from the states. But says Supreme Court to take final decision on the matter. April 2017: Supreme Court sets aside CERC order on allowing Tata, Adani to charge compensatory tariff. Darian Stewart Womens Jersey
NTPC arm ties up USD 1.6 billion for Maitree plant in Bangladesh
State-owned power giant NTPCBSE 0.33 %’s joint venture BIFPCL has tied up funds to the tune of USD 1.6 billion to set up 1,320-mw Maitree Super Thermal Power Project in Bangladesh. “We wish to inform that Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) (BIFPCL) achieved financial closure on April 10, 2017, to set up 1,320 mw (2×660 mw) coal based Maitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal in Bagerhat district of Khulna division, Bangladesh,” NTPC said in a BSE filing today. BIFPCL is a 50:50 joint venture company between NTPC and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for setting up this coal-fired thermal power plant. The company further stated that an agreement was signed with Indian Exim Bank to provide loan up to USD 1.6 billion for financing this project. BIFPCL is a private company duly incorporated in Bangladesh under the Companies Act 1994 and was registered with the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC), Dhaka, Bangladesh on October 31, 2012. During an earlier visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister to India, an MoU was signed on January 11, 2010, in New Delhi to bolster traditional ties between the two through co-operation. Josh Bailey Womens Jersey
8% power tariff hike for all categories of consumers in Karnataka
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has allowed an average tariff increase of 53 paise per unit (ranging from 20 paise to 55 paise per unit, including fuel adjustment charges of 5 paise per unit) for all categories of consumers. The commission has also allowed a marginal increase in fixed cost in the range of Rs. 5 per KW/HP/KVA to Rs. 20 per KW/HP/KVA on all LT & HT consumers. The overall increase in tariff is 8 per cent against 25 per cent increase sought by ESCOMs – Bescom, Mescom, Cesc, Hescom, Gescom and Hukeri RECS. M K Shankaralinge Gowda, Chairman, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, said: “The tariff increase is necessitated due to recovery of gap in revenue of Rs. 2,296 crore of FY16, which accounts for about 42 paise per unit.” He added “This is on account of increase in power purchase cost due to reduced availability of cheaper hydel power owing to poor monsoon and consequent procurement of costlier short-term power. Increase in power purchase cost for FY18 is about 6 paise per unit, which is mainly due to increase in fuel cost of thermal power plants.” Cameron Heyward Authentic Jersey
U.S. scuppers G7 bid to find joint stance on energy and climate
The U.S. administration of Donald Trump on Monday scuppered efforts by the Group of Seven industrialised countries to reach a common stance on energy when it asked for more time to work out its policies on climate change. Trump signed an order in March to undo climate change regulations drawn up under his predecessor Barack Obama, calling into question U.S. support for an international deal to fight global warming. The order’s main target was Obama’s Clean Power Plan, requiring states to slash carbon emissions from power plants – a key factor in U.S. ability to meet commitments under a climate change accord reached by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015. At a news conference wrapping up the G7 Energy meeting in Rome, Italian industry and energy minister Carlo Calenda said the United States was reviewing its strategy on climate change and the Paris Agreement. “While this is under way, the United States reserves its position on these key priorities,” he said. “It was not possible to sign a joint declaration since it would not cover the whole range of topics in the agenda.” Calenda, who chaired the G7 meeting, said all other European Union countries remained strongly committed to the Paris accord to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking from Madrid later on Monday, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Europe would “respect everyone’s opinion on the matter but it would not accept making any steps backward with respect to the strategic choices made on climate change”. Gentiloni is due to meet Trump at a G7 summit Italy will host in Sicily next month, with Italy anxious to get public backing from all leaders on the Paris accords. A source close to the G7 talks said the inability of U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to commit showed the isolation of the United States at the ministerial meeting. “The U.S. also wanted to include references to coal and fossil fuels,” the source said. During his election campaign, Trump pledged to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord, arguing it would hurt U.S. business. Environmental groups have criticised the administration’s order, arguing it runs dangerously counter to the global trend toward cleaner energy technologies. But Washington has still not spelt out its stance on the Paris agreement and some officials hope there is room for manoeuvre. “The talks were constructive and there was no friction,” Calenda said. The Italian minister is due to hold bilateral talks with Perry on Tuesday. C. J. Prosise Womens Jersey
India’s solar power capacity crosses 12 GW
India added 5,525 MW solar power generation capacity last fiscal, taking the total from this clean source to 12,288 MW. The country has abundant solar power potential which has been estimated to be 748 GW, New & Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal stated in a written reply to Rajya Sabha today. It had achieved total cumulative solar power generation capacity of 6,763 MW in 2015-16. The capacity was 1,686 MW in 2012-13 which increased to 2,632 MW in 2013-14 and to 3,744 MW in 2014-15. In a separate reply, Goyal said the government has envisaged 4,800 MW from rooftop solar and 7,200 MW from large scale solar power projects in the country. India has plans to add 5,000 MW of rooftop solar and 10,000 MW from large scale solar power projects in the current fiscal, he said. Among states, Andhra Pradesh tops the chart with largest cumulative solar generation capacity of 1,867 MW as on March 31, 2017 followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu at 1,812 MW and 1,691 MW respectively. Goyal said that in its submission to the United Nations Frame Work Convention on Climate Change on Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), the government has said that India will achieve 40 per cent cumulative Electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030. It will be done with the help of transfer of technology and low cost International Finance which includes Green Climate Fund, he said. Thomas Morstead Authentic Jersey