Only half of India’s 36 states and union territories have initiated smart meter installations so far. A government official said smart meters being a new concept, there were delays in issue of tenders and establishment of direct debit facility.
Power generated through gas-based stations is priced around Rs 13-14 per unit, much higher than what renewable or coal-fired power costs. Aside of that, the difficulty in procuring gas is another reason for Centre to throttle down gas-based power.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget for FY26 announced a National Nuclear Energy Mission, calling for private participation in the nuclear power sector
The government will soon announce emissions intensity trajectory for nine 'hard-to-abate' sectors, which will have to be achieved in a staggered manner
This will be the first time in more than three years when the government will not impose such a mandate on domestic coal based power plants. The coal ministry has enough stock for power plants
The average cost of power supply has increased by about 18 percent from FY19
NTPC is currently in talks with six-seven states for land to build nuclear power plants. The PSU will build both small and conventional reactors.
Coal-fired power is going to continue to do the heavy lifting by meeting 70-74% of the peak demand this summer. Like last year, the government plans to use state-run gas-based plants too, for which it has issued a tender to procure 1,800 MW of gas-based power. Besides, coal stocks at thermal power plants are at 51 million tons that would last for more than 21 days.
Budget announcement, foreign collaborations, and NTPC’s plan all indicate India’s conscious push for low-carbon energy
The much delayed 2,000 MW Subansiri hydropower plant in Arunachal Pradesh, which will be the largest in India, will be fully commissioned by May 2026, Chaudhary said.
For FY26, the capex will be in the range of about Rs 28,000-30,000 crore, up from Rs 20,000 crore as previously planned. For FY27, the Capex will be Rs 35,000 crore, instead of Rs 20,000 crore.
Post Modi-Trump meet, India and the US will work towards a more detailed bilateral agreement for nuclear reactors, after the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) is amended in the Parliament, senior government officials told Moneycontrol.
Unlike BESS, compressed CO2 energy storage systems do not need critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt. CESS uses only water, steel, and CO2. They also have a long life of at least 25 years.
Raj Kumar Chaudhary, CMD, NHPC Ltd told Moneycontrol that other than its operational hydropower capacity of 6,571 MW, the company has an additional 9,314 MW of hydro capacities under construction.
Coal secretary Vikram Dev Dutt has said the government is hopeful of the listings in the new fiscal and the work is on schedule
Union minister for coal and mines G Kishan Reddy said the ministry is also working on the plans for smooth supply and transportation of coal. Between April and November 2024, coal imports declined by 5.35 percent, saving approximately $3.91 billion (Rs 30,007.26 crore). Notably, coal imports for domestic power plant blending fell by 23.56 percent, he said.
The repo rate cut is expected to boost India’s power demand, besides making it easier for power companies to finance new renewable energy projects. It could also mean improved financial health of distribution companies (discoms).
Sinha said the Union Budget for FY26 aims to achieve high-impact growth while keeping the fiscal deficit within the 4.4 percent target, ensuring macroeconomic stability
Sinha said the push for nuclear energy and the increased outlay for PM Surya Ghar in the budget have come at the right time in India’s energy transition journey. When asked about the impact of the policies of the new government in the US, he said India’s energy transition will continue despite global uncertainties, driven by strong power demand.
The Q3 consolidated revenue of the Tata Group company increased by 3 percent to Rs 15,793 crore
"Depending on whichever way the US policies shape up, we will be in a good position. We can send modules from India to the US, or we can manufacture modules in the US. We can turn the knob based on how the policy landscape evolves," says Paithankar.
For a country of its size and electricity needs, India has abysmally low nuclear power generation capacity
The National Green Hydrogen Mission received Rs 600 crore, double of Rs 300 crore (RE) in FY25
The PM-KUSUM scheme, an initiative to solarise agriculture in India, got Rs 2,600 crore for FY26 against Rs 2,525 crore (RE) in FY25
Moneycontrol wrote on January 22 that the Budget will increase the allocation for the PM Surya Ghar scheme to ensure its faster implementation to meet renewable energy targets