Solar parks with capacity of 7500 MW to come up in Ladakh
The Jammu and Kashmir government has signed an MoU with the Centre for the development of two mega solar parks in the rocky mountainous region of Ladakh with a total capacity of 7500 MW. Minister for Science & Technology, Sajjad Gani Lone today said the government has proposed development of one each Mega Solar Park in the districts of Leh and Kargil. “The State Government has signed MoU with the Government of India for the development of two Mega Solar Parks of 5000 MW capacity in Leh district and 2500 MW capacity in Kargil district,” Lone informed the House in reply to a Question by Congress Legislative Party Leader Nawang Rigzin Jora. However, he said the work on these projects has not been started as yet in view of non-availability of land and lack of proper infrastructure in Ladakh for transmission of power generated from the proposed parks. Matt Haack Womens Jersey
Power Ministry misses target despite rise in output for November-December
Demonetisation may have negligible impact on power sector as output grew by 8.53 per cent in November and 6.13 per cent in December year-on-year but Power Ministry could not achieve the targeted electricity generation during the respective months. There was a fear that junking high value currency notes of Rs 1,000/500 will lead to slowdown in all segments in the economy including power sector. According to the Central Electricity Authority monthly report, total power generation in the country was 95.123 billion units (BUs) in December 2016, which was 6.13 per cent higher than 89.625 BUs electricity generation in the corresponding month previous year. However, as per the report, the electricity generation target of 96.999 BUs could not be achieved in December. Similarly, the CEA report said power generation grew 8.53 per cent in November, 2016 to 93.235 BUs compared to 85.904 BUs in same month year ago. However, the target of 93.236 could not be achieved. “The generation in the month of November was almost on track as there is not much difference in the actual output and target. But power generation is 1.8 BUs short of the targetted output in December,” said an expert. According to the CEA data, the per capita consumption of electricity was 1,075 units in 2015-16 as per provisional estimates. Therefore, output of 1.8 billion units could have lit thousands of houses in the country where a large number of people either live without electricity or face outages due to shortages in supply. However, Power Ministry data indicates that distribution companies collections increased by more than Rs 3,000 crore from November 10 to December 15, 2016 compared to last year i.e. after the demonetisation move. According to the Power Ministry, this will help achieve affordable tariffs. North Bihar Power Distribution Company saw a 204 per cent increase, NESCO in Odisha 251 per cent, APDCL in Assam 97 per cent and TANGEDCO in Tamil Nadu witnessed 97 per cent rise in collections. However, the experts think that this has happened because people have parked their black money with discoms to pay their electricity due in advance for many months. They think that such practice will not continue as utilities have already stopped honouring junked high value currency notes of Rs 1,000/500. D.J. Fluker Womens Jersey
TANGEDCO Floats Another 500 MW Solar Tender
A 500 MW solar tender has been floated by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). A request for selection (RFS) has been issued for auction and allocation of 500 MW of solar capacity. Prospective bidders/project developers can submit their bids by February 10th, 2017. There was a tender for the same capacity which TANGEDCO had floated in October 2016 but the state state utility failed to attract enough bids. Bidders can submit a maximum tariff bid of Rs 4.5 per unit as against Rs 5.10 threshold limit set by the state utility In its October tender that had evinced bids from 117 prospective companies. If this tender process emerges successful, it will set a new record on tariff front. The tariff submitted by bidders in the Rajasthan tariff bid was Rs 4.34 a u it. With a fall in interest rates, it is expected that tariffs to be discovered through this bidding will be further lower. Red Schoendienst Jersey
Biggest Indian solar project stalls as Jharkhand balks at cost
India’s biggest solar power project has stalled as the state which sought bids from generators says it can’t buy the energy at prices it had agreed upon. Winning developers in Jharkhand state are still waiting to sign power purchase agreements almost a year after the tender. In March, Jharkhand awarded contracts to build 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar. The state’s power retailer, Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd, was supposed to sign the power purchase agreements in May 2016. “We have asked for financial assistance of a few hundred crore rupees from the state’s finance department and are awaiting their response,” said R.K. Srivastava, chief secretary of the energy department in the state of Jharkhand. The delay underscores the threat from financially strapped state power retailers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious renewable energy goals. State-owned power retailers in India had combined losses of Rs3.84 trillion as of March 2015, according to a report by KPMG. Jharkhand Bijli’s managing director, Rahul Kumar Purwar, couldn’t be reached for comment. ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd, which is majority owned by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. scooped up 522 MW in the March auction. ReNew’s other investors include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Global Environment Fund. Other winners included Suzlon Energy Ltd, OPG Power Ventures Plc, Acme Group, Adani Enterprises Ltd and SunEdison Inc. A Suzlon spokesperson was unavailable for comment. An email sent to the Adani Group wasn’t returned. OPG Power executives couldn’t be reached. In an email, ReNew Power executives declined to comment. Solar auction How much of the solar capacity awarded in March’s tender eventually gets built depends on whether the government provides the backing, Srivastava said. Tariffs awarded in the auction ranged from Rs5.08 to Rs7.90 per kilowatt-hour depending on the size of the project, all of which were supposed to become operational between May and November this year. “There is a huge difference between the average tariff of nearly Rs4.3 a unit, at which the discom buys power, and the rates quoted for solar energy in the auction last year,” Srivastava said in a phone interview, referring to the term used to identify electricity distribution companies in India. The poor financial health of the country’s power retailers has been identified as one of the biggest hurdles to Modi’s climate pledge to install 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022. Those losses mean discoms can’t buy more electricity to satisfy expected demand whether clean or conventional, nor can they add more customers. That ultimately leaves latent power demand unmet. Several domestic and overseas clean energy companies have said they haven’t received payments for the electricity they generate for more than 10 months, racking up deficits of several hundred million dollars that may put the country’s green power ambitions at risk. Jharkhand’s state discom has liabilities of Rs6,400 crore, according to government data. As marquee investors find themselves at risk, the central government has asked for a quick resolution of the matter. The government faces embarrassment should the situation in Jharkhand not be resolved, according to a senior official at the ministry of new and renewable energy who requested anonymity because he isn’t authorized to speak to the media. The ministry has asked the state to resolve the matter, the official added. Jalen Mills Womens Jersey
Ikea buys Canada wind farm to offset carbon footprint
Ikea on Thursday announced plans to buy a wind farm with 55 turbines in the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta to offset its local stores’ electricity use and reduce their carbon footprint. The Wintering Hills 88 megawatt wind farm, approximately 130 kilometers (miles) east of Calgary, can produce enough electricity for 54 big-box stores or 26,000 households. Ikea has a dozen stores in Canada, with plans for more. The investment in renewable energy “moves us closer to our global ambition to produce more renewable energy than we consume by 2020,” Ikea Canada sustainability manager Brendan Seale said in a statement. The company has allocated $3.2 billion for renewable energy globally, and has spent half of the amount since 2009. It is buying the five-year-old wind farm in the heart of Canada’s main oil producing region from the energy firm TransAlta and mining behemoth Teck Resources for nearly Can$120 million ($92 million). It will be the second Ikea investment in renewable energy in Alberta, following the purchase of a 46 megawatt wind farm in Pincher Creek in 2013. The pair of farms will produce more than four times the energy the company consumes in Canada. The deal is expected to close within three weeks. Isaac Yiadom Womens Jersey
National Review Meeting of RE Sector with the State Governments held
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) organized a two days National Review Meeting with the State Government officials of Renewable Energy sector from 23rd to 24th January 2017. Mobile App for Solar Rooftop Systems “ARUN- Atal Rooftop Solar User Navigator and Information Guide on Rooftop Systems was also launched on the occasion. Speaking at the concluding session of review meeting here today, Rajeev Kapoor Secretary, MNRE emphasized on the need to comply with Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) and facilitate the renewable energy installations through conducive policies and timely payments for RE power purchased. He also urged upon the States to see the RE power in the backdrop of India’s commitment of raising 40% of electric installed capacity from non-fossil fuel by 2030 under INDC. It was observed that in general the compliance of RPOs needs to be ensured. The Secretary urged upon the States to formulate and modify their policies and prepare a conducive policy regime for RE. Shri Rajeev Kapoor gave away awards in Off-grid Solar PV Programme in 12 categories namely Solar Lantern, Solar Home Lighting Systems, Solar Power Packs, Solar Street Light, Solar Power Plant, Solar Pumps (Irrigation), Solar Mini/Micro Grid, Solar Pumps (Drinking), Bank Scheme – Solar Home Systems, Bank Scheme – Solar Pumps, Cold Storage and R.O. Systems. Secretary, MNRE also presented the Annual Day Awards of Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) to various State Nodal Agencies for best performance in different sectors of renewable energy during 2015-16. The progress of each State was reviewed, next financial year plan were discussed and the issues raised by the States were deliberated upon in detail and efforts were made to find their solutions in this review meeting. Presentations were made by the senior officers of the Ministry on each Programme and the State-wise issues were flagged. State Power / Energy Secretaries in charge of Renewable Energy, Heads of State Nodal Agencies and other concerned senior officials of States attended the Review Meeting. Senior officers of MNRE, CERC, NTPC, IREDA, SECI, NISE, NIWE, NIBE, etc. also participated in the meeting. Le’Veon Bell Womens Jersey
‘Green fuel from farm waste will reduce country’s dependency’
In run-up to Goa Assembly elections, the BJP today tried to woo the farming and fishing communities through various measures to boost their economic status. “The farmers in India would be producing fuel from the remains of farm products. The fuel that would be generated by farmers would be green one and will also be cost effective,” Union minister and BJP’s election in-charge for Goa Nitin Gadkari said addressing a BJP rally in Sanvordem constituency in South Goa. Gadkari said farmers in his home region of Vidarbha in Maharashtra have already started the “revolution” by producing fuel from farm produce. “Vidarbha has shown to the world thatfarmers can produce ethanol from remains of sugarcane after it was processed for sugar production. We can convert the buses and other public transport on ethanol, which is a green fuel,” the BJP MP said. He said at least 55 air conditioned buses are operating on ethanol in Nagpur, his home town. “The buses have helped to reduce pollution and they are cost effective,” the minister added. Gadkari said the alternate fuel can be generated from rice, wheat and cotton straw as well as from sugarcane waste. “Generation of fuel by farmers would decrease our country’s dependency on global fuel,” he said. Gadkari said Union government has already laid the foundation stone for a Rs 800-crore project for fishermen in Goa, which will help them market and process the fish. He said the government has introduced a scheme to help groups of fishermen to buy trawlers so that they can fish even outside the periphery of 11 nautical miles in sea. “State government has got jurisdiction in sea up to eleven nautical miles, after that it is under the purview of the Central government. Our government has designed a special scheme for fishermen in which they can form a group and buy trawlers,” the minister said. At present, state government has jurisdiction on fishing within 11 nautical miles and beyond is under Centre. “We want to encourage fishing outside 11 nautical miles so that their (fishermen’) business can prosper and their economic condition gets the boost. “A group of five to fifteen fishermen can approach the Centre with the capital investment of Rs 5 lakh on which the they will be provided Rs 15 lakh and banks will give them loan of Rs 1 crore,” he added. Gadkari said as trawlers will be well-equipped they will help in boosting production of fish in the coastal state, which in turn would contribute to the welfare of fishermen. Goa is going to polls on February 4 to elect 40-member House. Todd Davis Authentic Jersey
India shouldn’t replace its dependence on imported oil with reliance on imported solar cells
Minutes after Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th US president, the White House website outlined his vision of an ‘America-First Energy Plan’ (www.whitehouse.gov/america-first-energy). Its focus is on policies to lower costs for Americans and eliminating ‘burdensome regulations’ in the US energy industry. The plan is that the shale oil and gas revolution in the US will spur employment and growth. Towards this, the US government will now permit tapping deposits on federal lands. Trump plans to eliminate Barack Obama’s policies like the Climate Action Plan and the ‘Waters of the US’ rule. The plan talks of reviving the US coal industry and a commitment to clean coal technology and targets energy independence. The priority is for using energy for the development of the US, with the emphasis on fossil fuel and reducing local emissions. There is no mention of climate change, a commitment to a sustainable planet, of renewables, or energy efficiency. Stimulating the economy through cheap domestic energy is the main target. So what does this mean for the global agreement for climate signed in Paris? The US, in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), committed to reduce its overall carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 26-28 per cent of its 2005 levels by 2025. The Climate Action plan, which is being eliminated, was one step in this direction. If the Trump Plan results in spurring growth in US coal, oil and gas production to provide cheap energy (unburdened by harmful regulations), it is unlikely that the US would meet its Paris commitments. The US has 4 per cent of the world’s population and accounts for about 16 per cent of the world’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. India has about 18 per cent of the world’s population and accounts for 6 per cent of global consumption and emissions. The average American’s carbon footprint is 16.2 tonnes a year in 2014, about 3.6 times the world average and 10.4 times the Indian average of 1.6 tonnes a year. In his seminal 1968 essay, ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ (Science, goo.gl/XrlngG), ecologist Garett Hardin suggestes that for commons like grazing pastures, it is optimal for each member to over-exploit (eg. raise more cattle), since they reap the short-term benefit but take only a portion of the loss. Overgrazing occurs till finally the pasture is destroyed. The only solutions are regulation or property rights. In the global climate problem, it would be impossible to come up with agreed upon regulations or property rights if a major emitter decides unilaterally to maximise its short term (perceived) benefits and ignores the sustainability of the commons. The US played a key role in holding countries like China, India, Mexico and the European Union accountable to meeting emission commitments. It will be difficult to hold other countries to emission targets if the US reneges on its commitment. India’s INDC commits to having 40 per cent of power generation capacity from non-fossil sources in 2030 (with low-cost international finance) and reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 per cent over the 2005 values. Given the current growth in renewable-installed capacity in India, this seems achievable, irrespective of the US policy. The availability of low-cost international finance could be affected depending on the policy regimes for renewables in the US. The US policy incentives for investments in renewables and energy efficiency research and deployment has been a major catalyst for their growth. If there is a change in policy support in the US, it may impact the momentum of growth and innovation in these areas. We may benefit in the short-run from lower fossil fuel costs if the US plan meets its goal of scaling output. Also, if there is really a major investment in making clean coal technologies viable (most R&D funding had been reduced), this may help India make our coal plants more acceptable. As good global citizens with a stake in a sustainable planet, we should not deviate from our commitment to clean energy and our INDC. However, we need to re-examine the metrics of success for our energy policy. Keeping energy affordable and financing the growth of the energy sector are two critical challenges. India must be concerned with long-term energy security. Our solar mission has resulted in a significant deployment of solar power plants. However, our efforts to stimulate solar manufacturing have not been successful. We have built up production capacity of 1,400 MW of solar cells and 5,600 MW of solar modules. All these facilities are struggling to be globally competitive. The capacity utilisation of these facilities is 21 per cent for cells and 47 per cent for modules. The hallmark of our energy policy should be where we are able to utilise our energy growth to stimulate jobs and the economy. We should not replace a dependence on imported oil with a reliance on imported solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. Benson Mayowa Jersey
Experts urges greater subsidy on purchase of solar products
Experts in the field of solar conservation have urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to increase subsidies on purchase of solar products in the 2017-18 Union Budget to give a boost to beneficiaries. Members of global NGO Solar Cooker International (SCI) Janak Palta McGilligan and city-based Deepak Gadhia, in a letter to the finance minister, have requested that greater subsidy to be given on the purchase of solar cookers and solar dryers to beneficiaries, who are mostly women and farmers, which will enable them earn more income through its use. Padma Shree recipient McGilligan and Gadhia, a member of International Solar Energy Society (ISES), observed that the government’s scheme of giving new LPG connection to BPL families is not going to solve energy related problems as LPG fuel is going to be available only for a limited period. “Energy is largely fuel wood, animal dung, or crop residues, all of which emit smoke, pollute atmosphere, and are detrimental to health and safety of family members, particularly women,” the letter said. “Solar cooking has been viewed as one way to alleviate a number of India’s problems which could be supported by government efforts,” it said. “The use of solar cookers will solve the issue of inadequate household energy faced by rural population across the country,” Palta and Gadhia were quoted as saying in the letter sent to the FM recently. They also stated that government should give tax rebate to individuals investing in rooftop solar under provisions of Income Tax Act. Rodney Hudson Jersey
In big boost to Modi’s power push, Adani sets up world’s largest solar plant in India
It took 8,500 men working two shifts every day for six months – and three shifts for two months – to finish, ahead of schedule, the Adani Group’s giant solar power plant in southern India. The vast, 10 sq km project in Ramanathapuram, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, is the world’s largest solar power station in a single location, according to the company. It has the capacity to power 150,000 homes – and it is one sign of how serious India is becoming about meeting its renewable energy targets. Considering the delays that commonly bog down infrastructure projects in India, the speed at which the 648 megawatt project was completed demonstrates the country’s commitment to renewables, said an analyst. “The government is very clear about its solar plan, and large installations are key to this plan,” said Aruna Kumarankandath of the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is a real evangelist”, and has prioritised solar to meet the renewables target, she said. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, India is committed to ensuring that at least 40 per cent of its electricity will be generated from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. While coal still provides the lion’s share of India’s energy, officials forecast the country will meet its Paris Agreement renewable energy commitments three years early – and exceed them by nearly half. A 10-year blueprint released last month predicts that 57 per cent of total electricity capacity will come from non-fossil sources by 2027. Solar energy is a particular focus. It makes up 16 per cent of renewables capacity now, but will contribute 100 gigawatts of the renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW by 2022. Of that 100 GW target, 60 per cent will come from large solar installations. The government is planning 33 solar parks in 21 states, with a capacity of at least 500 megawatts each. GETTING CHEAPER India’s ambitious targets come at a time when renewable energy is at a turning point in the country, as generating electricity from renewables costs nearly the same as from conventional sources. The urgency also aims to fill a gap: India is among the world’s fastest growing economies, yet one-third of its households have no access to grid power. The renewables goal will help ensure “uninterrupted supply of quality power to existing consumers and provide electricity access to all unconnected consumers by 2019”, according to the blueprint. The Adani plant, built at a cost of Rs 45.5 billion ($661 million), reflects the government’s ambitions. It comprises 2.5 million solar panel modules, 576 inverters and 6,000 km of cables, the company said. The government grants some subsidies for solar and has raised the investment target for solar energy in the country to $100 billion, with Japan’s Softbank and Taiwan’s Foxconn among others committing to the sector. But there are hurdles, with land availability for solar parks a chief concern. Conflicts related to land have stalled industrial and development projects in India, putting billions of dollars of investment at risk, according to a recent report. “Land is definitely a concern, and there’s also the issue of transmission,” said Kumarankandath. “It’s all very well to produce all this energy, but do we have transmission lines capable of taking it up? We’re also going to need large quantities of water to clean the panels.” Some states are passing new land laws to make acquisitions easier, while the government is also exploring innovative places to install solar panels, including across the tops of irrigation canals. Meanwhile, the Adani group, India’s biggest solar power producer and also its top coal-fired generator, may be unseated before long by China, which is building what it claims will be the biggest solar farm on earth: an 850 MW plant on 27 sq km of land. Bob Griese Womens Jersey