Power Supply

After hurricanes now solar storms may cause disruption in US power grids

A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the US deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said on Wednesday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals. NOAA has notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane Milton barrelling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. Forecasters do not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. But they won't know for sure until it's just 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away, where

India seeks 6K MW of peak renewable power supply with storage

India is looking to connect a record 35 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind energy capacity to its grid

$500 mn in overdue power debt not sustainable: Adani Group to Bangladesh

The power deal, signed under Sheikh Hasina leadership, involves the supply of coal-generated electricity from Adani's 1,600 MW Godda plant, which the Yunus govt claims is opaque and expensive

Indian power firms owed over $1 bn by Bangladesh amid financial turmoil

Five Indian power companies-Adani Power, SEIL Energy India, NTPC, PTC, and Power Grid Corporation of India-are collectively owed over $1 billion.

Power consumption up by 3.5% to 145.4 bn units in July amid rainfall

India's power consumption rose a meagre 3.5 per cent to 145.40 Billion Units (BU) in July compared to the year-ago period as rainfall brought down temperatures from the scorching heat. In July 2023, the power consumption stood at 140.41 BU, according to official data. The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) also rose to 226.63GW in July 2024 against 208.95 GW in the year-ago month. The peak power demand touched an all-time high of 250.20 GW in May this year. The previous all-time high peak power demand of 243.27 GW was recorded in September 2023. Earlier this year, the power ministry projected a peak power demand of 235 GW during daytime and 225 GW during evening hours for May and 240 GW during daytime and 235 GW during evening hours for June 2024. The ministry also estimated that peak power demand may hit 260 GW this summer. Experts said with the onset of the monsoon in the country, the consumers got relief from the scorching heat and humidity which led to lesser use

India's power demand surge may require national electricity plan revision

India faces unprecedented surge in power demand with its peak expected to reach 260 GW by September or October this year

Maha should improve logistics, power supply for industrial growth: CII

Logistics infrastructure and cost of power supply have scope of improvement in Maharashtra for industrial growth, CII Vice President R Mukundan said on Saturday. Mukundan inaugurated the new office of CII Marathwada Zone chaired by Sunil Kirdak. "Last-mile connectivity is important for every industry to run their business smoothly. Improvement in logistics in terms of national and state highways should take place to keep investments coming. Where industry is less, we need more connectivity there," he told reporters. Efforts should be made to make the western region more competitive in terms of power supply and cost of power. There is a need to reduce the cost of power, he added. These two issues have been addressed well but there is a scope of improvement, Mukundan noted. On prospects of exports, he said, "If we need to export from here, we have to increase the number of airports and port facilities also". CII western region deputy chairman Rishi Kumar Bagla said, some airlines h

Major electricity outage in parts of Delhi due to fire at UP power grid

Delhi power outage news: The power restoration process has begun and electricity is now gradually returning to different areas, Delhi Minister Atishi said

INDIA bloc urges 'immediate release' of Kejriwal and Soren at Delhi rally

Sunita Kejriwal, conveyed her husband Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's pledge for continuous power supply, accessible quality education and healthcare

Power consumption grows 7.5% to 1354.97 bn units in FY23-24 from Apr-Jan

India's power consumption increased 7.5 per cent on-year to 1354.97 billion units (BU) in the April-January period of this financial year, indicating an uptick in economic activities across the country. Power consumption in the country has increased to 1354.97 billion units (BU) in the April-January period of this financial year, from 1259.49 BU in the April-January period of fiscal 2022-23, according to government data. It was 1505.91 BU in the entire fiscal year of 2022-23, the data showed. Experts believe the 7.5 per cent growth in power consumption in the country clearly shows a perk up in economic activities in the first 10 months of this fiscal year. They said power consumption grew in August, September and October, mainly due to humid weather conditions, and a pick-up in industrial activities ahead of the festive season. Experts are predicting a steady power consumption growth due to improvement in economic activities and cold wave conditions in February. They are of the vi

Sterlite Power secures orders worth Rs 1,400 crore in Oct-Dec quarter

Sterlite Power on Tuesday said it has secured new orders worth Rs 1,400 crore during the quarter ended December 2023. These orders from domestic and export markets are for high-performance power conductors, optical ground wire (OPGW) and power cables among others. Further, the company has also received orders for specialized Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services and turnkey EPC for extra high voltage (EHV) and high-voltage (HV) cables in the domestic market, Sterlite Power said. The equipment will be supplied for projects like metro, data center, and power projects. "The order wins are indicative of the growing demand for our product offerings in India and export markets. "With increased focus on decarbonization, our range of high-performance conductors, HV and EHV cables and specialized EPC services for cable transmission, continue to make a significant impact in the energy transition journey," Manish Agarwal, CEO, Global Products & Services business ...

Best of BS Opinion: Power for all, Mutual funds' growing heft & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Govt plans 24x7 electricity supply across the country by March 2025

This will be part of BJP's 'continuous reforms' if voted back to power

TPDDL signs MoU with PSSC for developing skill training programmes

Delhi discom TPDDL has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Power Sector Skill Council to jointly undertake skill development training and capacity-building programmes for the power distribution sector in India and abroad, according to a company statement on Thursday. The MoU was signed by Praveen Agrawal, chief human resource, industrial relations, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) and V K Singh, chief executive officer of Power Sector Skill Council (PSSC), it said. The objective of the MoU is to provide a framework for cooperation between TPDDL and PSSC, facilitating the co-creation, development and imparting of courses for training and skill development for personnel in the power industry, state utilities and other organisations, the statement added. Agarwal said, "With a pre-established proficiency in on-site and off-site training domain, this MoU will enhance our training and research capabilities within the power sector with a specific focus on skill ...

Telangana's power sector, supply to farmers key in heated political battle

24x7 power supply to farmers emerges as a political lightning rod in the state as sparks fly between Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Congress

US, Philippines sign nuclear cooperation pact to bolster power supply

The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of the deal by his energy secretary and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. "We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippines' energy mix by 2032 and we are more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners, Marcos said at the signing ceremony. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. Blinken said negotiations with the Philippines were completed within

RE sources can meet 65% of world's power supply, 90% by 2050: R K Singh

Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh on Tuesday said renewable energy sources can supply 65 per cent of the world's total electricity by 2030 and as much as 90 per cent by 2050. Addressing the inauguration of the Sixth Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA), Singh said "Renewable energy sources have the potential to supply 65 per cent of the world's total electricity by 2030 and decarbonise 90 per cent of the power sector by 2050." Currently, he informed that around 80 per cent of the global population resides in countries that depend on fossil fuel imports, totalling a staggering 6 billion people. Singh, who is also president of ISA, stated that the recent G20 Summit in New Delhi also underscored the urgent need for a transition to clean energy. Singh also invited all member countries, ISA Partner Organisations and other organisations present to partner with ISA in making it a catalyst for the transformative change. "Our vision in mind when the ISA ..

JSW Energy makes short-term bets on India's power sector as demand rises

JSW Energy plans to light up the first unit of its Ind-Barath asset this month and the second by the end of FY24

Kerala govt urges CERC to reinstate cancelled contracts in power sector

In a bid to meet the electricity requirements of Kerala, the state government on Wednesday decided to urge the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission to reinstate contracts in the power sector that it previously denied permission to. The decision was taken at a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The state government said it would give this direction to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission under Section 108 of the Electricity Act. State Power Minister K Krishnankutty said that the key regulator is legally bound to follow the direction of the state government. "If the direction is being given invoking Section 108 of the Electricity Act, then they are legally bound to accept the direction. We also have the provision for an appeal," Krishnankutty told PTI. In a statement, the CMO said the decision was taken considering public interest and to ensure that the state would not experience a power crisis. Meanwhile, the Kerala State Electricity Bo

CIL's coal supply to power sector rises 3.4% to 294.8 MT during Apr-Sept

Supply of coal to the power sector by state-owned Coal India increased 3.4 per cent to 294.8 million tonnes in the first six months of the current fiscal even as the demand for electricity touched record highs in the past two months, the maharatna firm said on Monday. The total amount of coal supplied was 1.8 MT more than the 293 MT demand projected for this period, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a statement. "Compared to the high base of same period last fiscal, the volume increase was 9.7 MT, or 3.4 per cent. This could have been higher if the logistics were eased out and intake not regulated by few consumers," CIL said in a statement. "We were given a supply target of 610 MT to the power sector for FY24. This is about 4 per cent higher than the record 586.6 MT supplied in FY23. We met the prorated demand of coal-fired plants till September-end and expect to meet the annual demand as well," a senior CIL official said. Coal is the largest source of electricity in the country and CIL