The Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission rejected a petition seeking permission to install an additional 600 kW rooftop solar system under the net metering arrangement as the proposed expansion would have raised the total capacity to 1.6 MW, surpassing the 1 MW cap set by the Renewable Energy Regulations, 2023. The Commission held that relaxing the ceiling for net metering was neither justified nor prudent. It ruled that two types of net metering arrangements under the same electricity connection number could not be permitted.

Energy storage and green hydrogen are crucial for mitigating the intermittency of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, thereby enabling a continuous power supply and enhancing grid reliability. These issues will be discussed in depth at the fifth edition of the Mercom India Renewables Summit, set to take place on July 24-25, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency, New Delhi. A key session during the summit on July 24, titled “Energy Storage and Green Hydrogen: The Missing Links in India’s Renewable Energy Transition,” will address the urgent need for scalable energy storage solutions and the development of a robust green hydrogen ecosystem.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission approved the levelized tariffs determined through a competitive bidding process conducted by the Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam for 78 solar projects with a total capacity of 228.85 MW. These projects are implemented under Component C (feeder-level solarization) of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM). The approved tariffs range from ₹2.78 (~$0.032)/kWh to ₹3.04 (~$0.035)/kWh.

Government-owned coal mining company Singareni Collieries Company invited bids for the operation and maintenance of a 5 MW floating solar power project at the Singareni Thermal Plant’s water storage reservoir for eight years. Bids must be submitted by July 28, 2025. Selected bidders must undertake the maintenance and troubleshooting work for the project. Its downtime must not exceed 48 hours from the time the faults occur. The scope of work also entails operating grid interfaces, managing curtailments, adjusting settings such as power factor or other ancillary services, and logging operational data for periodic processing.

The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh issued a request for selection to implement 1,198.21 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects for 599,105 scheduled caste and scheduled tribe consumers under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Bids must be submitted by August 5, 2025. Bids will be opened on August 6. The scope of work entails the design, engineering, supply, transportation, installation, erection, testing, and commissioning of the solar projects.

NTPC Green Energy invited bids for the operation and maintenance of a 160 MW solar project at Jetstar, Rajasthan for two months. Bids must be submitted by July 9, 2025. Bids will be opened on the same day. The scope of work entails module cleaning and cutting and disposal of grass and bushes from the 840-acre project area. It also includes the 24/7 watch and ward of the project. If any theft occurs during the contract period, it will be the selected bidder’s liability to restore or recoup the material.

The Multi Commodity Exchange of India, a commodity derivatives and options exchange, will launch electricity futures contracts from July 10, 2025, enabling power producers, distributors, and large power consumers to manage risks associated with price volatility. The exchange had received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India in June to launch electricity derivatives. Electricity futures are financial instruments that derive their value from electricity prices and are primarily used for hedging, speculation, or arbitrage.

Nagpur-based WorldOne Energies announced plans to establish a 1 GW solar module manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada. The move is a part of the company’s strategy to meet growing international demand for solar modules and build cross-border partnerships. The manufacturing line will manufacture TOPCon bifacial solar modules. WorldOne Energies Co-Founder and CEO Mark Garvin recently met with Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Federal Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development, to discuss advancing clean energy ties between Canada and India.