
“Nothing in it for Us”: Solar Industry Reacts to 2019 Budget
The interim budget announced by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal did not offer much for India’s renewable energy sector. Mercom had reported that the budget could be an opportunity to help ...

Budget 2019 Fails to Meet Renewable Industry’s Expectations Yet Again
The interim Budget 2019 was announced on February 1, 2019 by the interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal. Like the previous two years, this year’s Budget also appears to have failed ...

Indian Railways Announces Plans to Install Solar Panels on Stations and Trains
The Indian Railways is the single largest consumer of electricity with roughly 2 percent share of national energy consumption and it is gradually turning towards green initiatives for electrification as well as ...

Indian Railways to Become Net-Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030
Indian Railways is going green in a big way and plans to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030, according to Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal. Goyal spoke to news ...

Indian Railways to Tender 5 GW of Solar to Cut Down Power Costs
The Indian Railways is turning to solar power to cut down its increasing power costs. The Railways will soon launch tenders to set up large-scale solar power projects, inching closer ...

Goyal: Indian Railways Plans to Invite Bids for the Development of More Solar Projects
The Indian Railways is preparing to release tenders for the development of solar projects that will expand the company’s footprint in the Indian solar sector, according to Union Railway Minister ...

5 MW of Rooftop Solar Projects Commissioned for Indian Railways
The Indian Railways have commissioned solar projects aggregating 5 MW. These projects have been set up on the roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Delhi railway ...

Indian Railways to Shift the Energy Mix Toward Renewable Sources
The International Conference on Green Initiatives and Railway Electrification has opened to a discourse on green initiatives, electrification, and decarbonization of the Indian Railways using renewable energy as a critical ...

India Renewable Energy News and Policy Roundup for September 2017
Several important renewable energy policies especially in solar were announced last month in India. Notable news was the Rewa payment guarantee announcement from Madhya Pradesh. State Agencies The Rajasthan Renewable ...

Minister for Power to Meet with Major Solar Developers
The new Indian Minister for Power, Mr. R. K. Singh, has called a meeting with major developers in the solar energy sector. This is the first such meeting he will ...

After Solid Accomplishments, Piyush Goyal Makes Way for Raj Kumar Singh as India’s New Minister of Power
In a recent cabinet shuffle, Mr. Piyush Goyal was promoted to the position of Minister of Railways and Coal and Mr. Raj Kumar Singh took over his old role as ...

India Renewable Energy Policy Roundup from August 2017
Government agencies were busy in the month of August with two anti-dumping cases decided against Chinese companies for solar glass and castings for wind turbines. The Ministry of New and ...

Solar RPO in India to be Set at 6.75 Percent for FY 2018-19
The solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO) for financial year (FY) 2018-19 will be set at 6.75 percent, stated Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister for Power, in the Lok Sabha. The non-solar ...

RPO System to be Re-evaluated Says Power Minister Piyush Goyal
A separate solar and non-solar renewable purchase obligations (RPO) system should be reviewed according to Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power. If what’s been proposed by Mr. Goyal comes to ...

India Can Integrate 175 GW of Renewable Energy into the Electricity Grid, Study Reveals
India can integrate the entire targeted 175 GW of renewable energy into the national electricity grid based on projected power system plans and regulations according to a study conducted under ...

Weather Portal for Power Sector launched in India
A weather portal for the power sector developed by the Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) and a web portal named MERIT (Merit Order Dispatch of ...

Energy Conservation Building Code 2017 Launched
The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 was launched by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power. The adoption of ECBC is expected to lead to 30 percent-50 percent energy savings by ...

Solar Modules to be Hit With 18% GST Rate in India, Coal Gets 5%
The government of India has released tax slabs for various commodities to be affected by the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). According to the government document, GST ...

NTPC Raises Rs. 20 Billion (~$305 Million) through Green Masala Bonds
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has raised Rs. 20 billion (~$305.47 million) through the issuance of Green Masala Bonds in the overseas market. These bonds were issued under NTPC’s ...

Interest Costs of DISCOMs Reduced by Rs.119.89 Billion (~$1.83 Billion) Under UDAY Program
In the first nine months of India’s current financial year (FY) 2016-2017, the interest costs of states and union territory DISCOMs that have joined the Ujwal DISCOM (distribution company) Assurance ...

12,364 Villages Electrified Under the DDUGJY Program
A total of 12,364 villages have been electrified under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) program as of February 28, 2017. A total of 6,088 villages are yet ...

90 Million LED Bulbs Distributed Under UJALA Program in Financial Year 2015-2016
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has distributed 90 million LED bulbs under the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) program in the financial year 2015-16. Under the UJALA ...

MNRE to Receive ~Rs.53.41 Billion (~$817 Million) From National Clean Energy Fund for FY2017-2018
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will receive ~Rs.53.41 billion (~$817 million) from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) for financial year 2017-2018. The National Clean Energy Fund ...

Solar Installations in India to Double in the Next 15 Months According to Minister of Power
According to the Indian Minister of Power, solar installations in India are expected to double in the next 15 months to cross 20 GW by June 2018. As of March ...

149 MW of Solar Installed Under Off-Grid Program
Standalone solar projects aggregating 149 MW have been installed in India under the off-grid program. The Ministry of Power is providing help to develop standalone solar power projects under off-grid ...