Features

Features

Udangudi thermal project at a crossroads: compliance status and appraisal
By January 4, 2026January 4, 2026

The Udangudi Supercritical Thermal Power Project is located in Udangudi Village, Tiruchendur Taluk, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu. Originally planned as a 2×800 MW imported coal-based plant, it is now being developed as a 2×660 MW supercritical coal-based power plant by Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL). The project aims to strengthen Tamil Nadu’s power capacity while going through detailed environmental scrutiny. The project site is situated on the southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu, near…

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Features

India’s renewable energy policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

The year 2025 witnessed a concerted push from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and allied ministries to address long-standing bottlenecks in deployment, manufacturing, and grid integration, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the next phase of growth of India’s renewable energy sector centered on quality, security, and market-based mechanisms. The year began with clarifications and expansions to foundational schemes. In January, MNRE issued detailed operational guidelines for the PM Surya Ghar: Muft…

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India’s electric mobility policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

The year 2025 for India’s electric mobility transition was characterized by a series of targeted policy interventions, manufacturing incentives, infrastructure expansions, and strategic pilot projects. From the launch of new manufacturing schemes and tighter domestic sourcing mandates to the rollout of financial incentives for commercial vehicles and the establishment of a national charging ecosystem, the government’s multi-pronged approach aimed to solidify India’s position as a global hub for electric vehicle production and adoption. A cornerstone…

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India’s transmission and distribution policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

The year 2025 began with significant momentum in planning and regulatory clarity for India’s power transmission and distribution landscape. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) took a decisive step in January by proposing amendments to its Transmission Planning Criteria manual to establish regional standing committees for reviewing intrastate and interstate transmission systems. This move, aimed at decentralizing and strengthening the planning process, envisioned five regional committees to address constraints, examine new proposals, and assess systems linked…

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India’s green hydrogen policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

India’s green hydrogen sector has transitioned from a nascent vision to a landscape dotted with concrete policy frameworks, ambitious pilot projects, and strategic international positioning. The year 2025 has been pivotal in establishing the operational, financial, and regulatory architecture necessary to transform the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) from a statement of intent into a tangible industrial reality. From the launch of a rigorous certification scheme to the activation of pilot mobility projects and the…

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India’s conventional generation policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

While the national gaze remained firmly fixed on the rapid expansion of renewable capacity, the bedrock of coal-based thermal power underwent substantive regulatory and operational shifts in 2025 to ensure grid reliability, address financial sustainability, and navigate an increasingly complex compliance landscape. A cornerstone development was the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs’ approval of the revised SHAKTI (Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India) policy in May. This reform introduced a streamlined, dual-window…

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India’s energy storage policy wrap 2025
By January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

The year 2025 marked a pivotal period for India’s energy storage landscape, transitioning from conceptual discussions to a concrete regulatory and implementation framework. Driven by the imperative to integrate a massive pipeline of renewable energy and ensure grid stability, the government and its agencies rolled out a series of guidelines, mandates, and support mechanisms specifically targeting Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Pumped Storage Projects (PSP). These moves collectively aim to build a foundational ecosystem…

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Features | Analysis

CAG flags planning and execution gaps in DDUGJY and SAUBHAGYA schemes
By December 26, 2025December 26, 2025

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has reported major deficiencies in the planning, execution, financial management, and monitoring of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA). The Government of India launched the schemes to improve rural electricity access and reliability. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) began in December 2014 to separate agricultural and non-agricultural feeders, strengthen sub-transmission and distribution…

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Features | Analysis

COP30 agrees on finance and forests but not on fossil fuel timelines
By November 23, 2025November 24, 2025

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded on November 22, having extended one day beyond its scheduled end. COP30 ended with the Global Mutirão Agreement, a political package that sets a new climate finance target and commits countries to prepare two major roadmaps. One will focus on ending deforestation, and one will outline a transition away from fossil fuels. The agreement avoided binding phase-out…

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Analysis | Features

India’s 37 GW ultra supercritical pipeline to support rising renewable demand
By November 23, 2025November 23, 2025

Thermal power remains central to India’s electricity system. It continues to anchor grid stability even as renewable capacity grows at a rapid pace. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India’s total installed capacity reached 500,889 MW by the end of September 2025. Thermal power accounted for 244,800 MW, or 48.87 per cent of the total. Renewable energy, including solar, wind, small hydro, and biomass, reached a 39.37 per cent share. Hydropower, nuclear power, and…

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