The Central government’s annual appraisal of power distribution companies’ (DISCOMs) financial and operational performance saw 21 entities improve their rank over the last year. Only one company — Indian Power Corporation – was downgraded. The eleventh annual integrated ratings for the financial year (FY) 2022 released by the Ministry of Power assessed the performance of 71 DISCOMs and awarded ten entities with A+ ratings. These included Adani Electricity Mumbai, Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company, Madhya Gujarat Vij Company, DNH Power Distribution Corporation, Uttar Gujarat Vij Company, Paschim Gujarat Vij Company, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Noida Power Company, and Tata Power Mumbai.

Karnataka topped the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) for the second year running with an overall score of 82.5 points out of 100 owing to impactful measures taken in improving energy efficiency in the state. The state notified the Karnataka Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Policy 2022-2027 to promote and enhance energy efficiency across different sectors of the economy. The framework of the SEEI report includes 50 indicators. The report was released by Union Minister for Power R.K. Singh. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, and Telangana follow in the front-runner category (>60 points) while Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab are in the achiever category (50-60 points).

The Ministry of Power has released guidelines to regulate and promote the development of pumped storage projects in India. These guidelines propose the methods for allotment of project sites through competitive bidding and rule out any upfront premium for project allocation to make projects financially viable. The ministry has also envisaged tax waivers and participation in power markets to make these projects financially viable and attractive for developers and investors alike. The state governments may allot project sites to developers in different ways, including on a nomination basis to Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) and State PSUs.

A recent study conducted at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has found that solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries have the potential to provide greater energy densities and improved safety compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, the results of this study have revealed a significant bottleneck in the development of solid-state batteries. The findings indicate that slow ionic transport in the cathode composites is a major limitation. The researchers emphasized that without the direct visualization of the reaction front within the cathode composite, this effect would have remained unnoticed despite its importance for the development of solid-state batteries.