The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has forecast an all-India peak power demand of 256.53 GW in financial year (FY) 2024-25, rising sharply from FY 2023-24. Power demand will soar above 256 GW in September 2024, according to the CEA’s prediction. Peak power demand has been rising steadily over the past few years, with September 1 this year recording 240 GW. An increase in industrial activity and an unusually dry August were among the reasons for power demand scaling new heights this year. Insufficient rain during the month led to an increase in the use of pump sets to irrigate agricultural lands with groundwater.

Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam has invited bids to install and commission 50.71 MW of grid-connected solar power projects under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan program for feeder-level solarization. The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company model. The developer must provide a remote monitoring system and operation and maintenance of the projects for 25 years. The last date for submission of bids online is October 26, 2023. Bids will be opened on October 30.

Servokon Systems, a power equipment manufacturer, plans to invest over ₹2 billion (~$24 million) in a new manufacturing facility for both transformers and solar modules in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. Besides setting up a solar module manufacturing facility, Servokon will manufacture transformers up to 220 kV class. The company did not disclose the capacity of the solar manufacturing unit. The manufacturing facility, spanning an area of approximately 25,000 square meters, is expected to be operational between the end of 2024 and January 2025.

Convergence Energy Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services, has invited bids to appoint a service provider to deploy 2,000 electric cars on a PAN-India basis. The last date for the submission of bids is October 13, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day. The electric vehicles are to be deployed in two zones, Zone 1 and Zone 2. Bidders should submit a bid security of ₹41.38 million (~$497,849) for each zone. Bidders can quote for one zone or both zones.

The Delhi Transport Department has invited bids to select service providers to deploy high-speed and low-speed electric scooters and e-bicycles to enhance last-mile connectivity to metro stations and bus stands within the Dwarka sub-city. The service providers must deploy a combined fleet of 2,000 high-speed and low-speed electric scooters and 1,000 e-bicycles for seven years and ten months from the agreement’s signing date. The last day to submit the bids is October 20, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission, in a recent order, granted approval to Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam (RUVNL) to extend the power purchase agreements (PPAs) with 12 wind power generators by five years. It said that the tariff for the extended period will be ₹2.44 (~$0.029)/kWh as mutually agreed between RUVNL and the 12 wind power generators. The state regulator said that RUVNL and the generators might sign supplementary PPAs to extend their earlier PPAs. RUVNL had filed a petition seeking the extension of PPAs with 12 wind power generators per the terms of Tariff Determination Regulations 2020.

The energy storage market in the United States, including grid-scale, residential and community, commercial, and industrial segments, experienced an 80% year-over-year growth in the second quarter of 2023, adding a total of 5,597 MWh, found the latest report by Wood Mackenzie and American Clean Power Association. The report reveals that the grid-scale energy storage segment was pivotal in driving this growth with 5,109 MWh, an impressive 172% quarter-over-quarter expansion. California emerged as the leader in this sector, contributing 738 MW and accounting for a substantial 49% share of the total installed capacity.