Author Archives: Nithin Thomas Prasad
About Nithin Thomas Prasad
Nithin is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Reuters News, he has covered oil, metals and agricultural commodity markets across global markets. He has also covered refinery and pipeline explosions, oil and gas leaks, Atlantic region hurricane developments, and other natural disasters. Nithin holds a Masters Degree in Applied Economics from Christ University, Bangalore and a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai.
CERC Rules in Favor of PGCIL as a Wind Developer Fails to Achieve Timely Financial Closure
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) rejected a plea by Vaayu Renewable Energy Private Limited, a renewable energy developer, who filed a petition seeking for the commission to direct the ...
Uttar Pradesh’s 500 MW Solar Tender Undersubscribed by 268 MW
The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency’s (UPNEDA) 500 MW solar tender has been undersubscribed by 268 MW, according to Mercom’s sources. The tariff ceiling set for this ...
Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala Emerge as Top States for Energy Efficiency
The Ministry of Power (MoP) has announced the release of its ‘State Energy Efficiency Index 2019’ report, which keeps tabs on the progress made by the Indian states and union ...
SECI Announces RfS for 1.2 GW Wind-Solar Hybrid Tender
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued the request for selection (RfS) for setting up 1,200 MW of interstate transmission-connected wind-solar hybrid power projects in the country under ...
Solar’s Share in India’s Total Installed Power Capacity Reaches 9.6% at the End of 2019
Renewable energy (including large hydro) accounted for almost 36% of India’s total power capacity mix at the end of the calendar year (CY) 2019, according to data from the Central ...
NTPC Floats O&M Tender for a 50 MW Solar Project in Madhya Pradesh
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has floated a tender for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of its 50 MW grid-connected Rajgarh solar project in the state of Madhya Pradesh ...
SECI Invites Solar, Wind Energy Generators to Supply Power Through Open Access
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from interested renewable energy generators for the supply of power through open access. The EoI is for ...
Indore Smart City Tenders Consulting and O&M for 100 MW of Solar Projects
Indore Smart City Development Limited (ISCDL) has floated a tender for a consultant for 100 MW of solar projects. The estimated cost of work is ₹20 million (~$281,587). Interested bidders ...
Jammu and Kashmir Issues EOI to Carry Out Evaluation Study of its Solar Devices
The Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for conducting a study assessing the impact of the solar devices it has installed under ...
Gujarat Commission Approves Tariff of ₹2.80/kWh for Over 202 MW of Wind Projects
The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.80 ($0.039)/kWh for 202.6 MW of power from grid-connected wind power projects in Gujarat. In its order, the Commission ...
Solar Projects are Helping Generate Income, Create Jobs and New Skills in Rural Areas
The development of large solar power projects in rural areas usually gets a bad rap as it is associated with issues like land grabbing, deforestation, and disruption of the rural ...
MERC Permits Adani to Renegotiate Tariff for 700 MW of Solar-Wind Hybrid Power
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulator Commission (MERC) has allowed Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML) to renegotiate a lower tariff for 700 MW of grid-connected solar-wind hybrid power. The Mumbai-based private power ...
To Promote Energy Efficiency, BEE Sets New Standards for Air Conditioners
The central government and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) have set new energy performance standards for room air conditioners and have mandated that the default temperature must be set ...
NITI Aayog Reports on States’ Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goals
The National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s sustainable development goals (SDG) index showed that Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana held the top spots in terms ...
IFC to Lend $36 Million to Mahindra Renewables for a 250 MW Solar Project in Rajasthan
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the financial arm of the World Bank, has announced its plan to lend $36 million (~₹2.57 billion) for a 250 MW solar project by Mahindra ...
NTPC Tenders for 550 kW of Rooftop Solar Systems at Thermal Power Stations in Odisha
The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited has floated a tender for the supply, installation, and commissioning of 550 kW of rooftop solar systems at thermal power stations in the state ...
New Technology to Develop Indigenous Graphene Supercapacitor for Energy Storage
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and SPEL Technologies Pune have jointly developed a technology for generating functionalized graphene at lower costs. This process will be used ...
Gujarat and Tamil Nadu Have Offshore Wind Energy Potential of 70 GW: MNRE
The Ministry of Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy that India has an offshore wind energy potential of around 70 GW in parts along the ...
SECI Issues RfS for 1,200 MW of Solar Projects Under Tranche VIII of ISTS Program
The Solar Electricity Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a detailed request for selection documents to set up 1,200 MW of interstate transmission system (ISTS) connected solar projects. The tender was ...
Over 181,000 Solar Water Pumps Installed in India
In response to an inquiry raised in the Lok Sabha, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh announced that over 181,000 solar water pumps had been installed across the country by October ...
Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from India’s Renewable Sector in December 2019
The year 2019 wrapped up with a host of newsworthy developments recorded in the renewable energy industry. There were several important company announcements besides crucial government updates during the last ...
Maharashtra Retenders 1.35 GW of Solar Projects, Ups Tariff Cap to ₹3.30/kWh
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has reissued a tender for 1,350 MW of solar projects to be developed across 30 districts. The ceiling tariff has been raised ...
Prime Minister’s Office Proposes Waiving Carbon Tax on Coal
According to a communique reviewed by Mercom, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has proposed waiving the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Compensation Cess, (earlier called the Clean Energy ...
Bihar Announces a 5 MW Tender for Residential Rooftop Solar Projects
The South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) has floated a tender for 5 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects across the state for the residential sector. The scope of ...
Maharashtra Tenders 100 MW of Bagasse-Based Power with a Tariff Cap of ₹3.56/kW
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has issued a tender for the procurement of 100 MW of power generated from bagasse-based co-generation projects. Interested bidders are expected to ...
