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Centre pushes eastern states to plan one nuclear plant per state

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At the Regional Conference for the Eastern Region States/ UTs in Patna on 24 June, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal urged eastern states to tie up generation capacity, push renewable energy with storage, and plan for at least one nuclear plant per state. States were asked to resolve issues delaying intra-state transmission, including Right of Way and forest clearances, and use Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 50-year interest-free loans announced in Budget 2025–26 to build…

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Union Power Minister urges water cess waiver in J&K

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Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, reviewed the power and urban development sector in Jammu & Kashmir during his visit to Srinagar. He urged the Union Territory (UT) to consider waiving the water cess on hydro projects to lower electricity costs for consumers. The Union Minister inaugurated several transmission infrastructure upgrades, including: 132/33 kV Grid Station, Awantipora – Capacity increased from 145 MVA to 175 MVA Grid Station, Wanpoh…

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States discuss power reforms at northern region conference

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The Regional Conference for Northern States and Union Territories was held on 6 June in Chandigarh. Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, chaired the meeting.  With peak demand expected to rise to 446 GW by 2034–35, Shri Manohar Lal called for a balanced mix that includes nuclear generation. The Minister asked States to resolve issues delaying intra-state transmission projects and to consider multilateral funding sources.   On grid security, he…

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Power Ministry reviews Karnataka’s power sector, pushes for reforms

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The Ministry of Power has completed a detailed review of Karnataka’s power sector, highlighting key areas for reform to improve efficiency and reliability. The ministry called for urgent financial reforms. Power utilities were advised to reduce annual losses and adopt cost-reflective tariffs to ensure financial sustainability. It also recommended timely clearance of government dues and subsidies, proposing a centralized payment mechanism to improve accountability and streamline payments. Utilities were directed to speed up the installation…

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Centre pushes for resource adequacy, smart metering at southern power review meet

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The Regional Power Conference for Southern States and Union Territories was held in Bengaluru, chaired by Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs. Attendees included Shri Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, along with state ministers and senior officials. The meeting focused on future power demand, transmission expansion, financial viability of DISCOMs (distribution companies), and cyber security. Secretary (Power), Government of India, urged…

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Bharat Grid wins Rs 22.74 billion contract for smart metering in Gujarat

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Bharat Grid Private Limited has won a contract worth Rs 22,739.73 million to provide Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) services for smart prepaid metering in Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL).  The project will be executed on a design, build, finance, own, operate, and transfer (DBFOOT) basis under Phase II of the Gujarat Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). REC Power Distribution Company Limited (REC PDCL) invited bids for the contract in March 2024. The project is…

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Adani Energy Solutions achieves 30 per cent transmission network expansion

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Adani Energy Solutions achieved significant growth during the latest quarter, expanding its transmission network to 26,485 circuit kilometres (ckm), marking a 29.7% increase from the previous year’s 20,422 ckm.  Its power transformation capacity surged to 84,286 MVA, up from 54,661 MVA YoY, while transmission availability stood at 99.21%, slightly lower than last year’s 99.69%. System availability remained stable at 99.69%. In project development, the company secured two major contracts: the Rs 34.55 billion Khavda Phase…

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PFCCL initiates empanelment process for AMISP under RDSS

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PFC Consulting Ltd (PFCCL), a subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation Ltd, has initiated the empanelment of advanced metering infrastructure service providers (AMISP) under the centrally-sponsored Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).  As one of the project implementation agencies (PIA) for smart metering under RDSS, PFCCL is seeking to empanel AMISPs to execute prepaid smart metering projects. The empanelment process will categorize bidders into four groups based on project size, defined by the volume of smart meters:…

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Adani Transmission and DigiSmart Networks bid for Goa’s smart metering

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Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) and DigiSmart Networks Private Limited have submitted bids to serve as the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider (AMISP) for smart prepaid metering in Goa.  The project, under the Goa Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), will follow a design, build, finance, own, operate, and transfer (DBFOOT) model. The Department of Power (DoP), Goa invited bids for the Rs 3,961.18 million project in January 2024.

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Iberdrola explores sale of UK smart metering business to raise £1bn

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Spanish utility Iberdrola is considering the sale of its UK smart metering business, aiming to raise £1 billion ($1.27 billion), according to Reuters. The company is working with the Royal Bank of Canada as an adviser on the deal, though the sale process is in its early stages and no deal is guaranteed. The potential sale is part of Iberdrola’s larger £24 billion investment plan for its UK arm, ScottishPower, which includes a focus on…