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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
In relief for Delhiites, govt to soon waive ‘pending, inflated' water bills: Minister
In a major relief to residents of the national capital, the Delhi government is soon going to waive 'pending, inflated' water bills, along with the late payment surcharge, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said Monday. Addressing a press conference on the BJP completing 100 days in power and the achievements of his departments, he said, 'A scheme to waive all domestic water bills is under preparation and it will be implemented soon. Once it is launched, all domestic water bills will be reduced by around 90%…' 'But until this scheme is officially launched, I have already said that if someone hasn't paid their bill, their connection won't be disconnected for now. The people of Delhi are aware that the government is bringing a new scheme, so everyone is waiting for it… So, until the bill payments are sorted out — and right now there are some technical issues — once that is resolved and the scheme is launched, it will reduce the inflated and pending bills up to 90%,' he added. He said that, currently, the software being used by the Delhi Jal Board was developed and maintained by Wipro. 'Their lease period has already ended, and they have been given an extension… the company has refused to make any further changes to the current system… Once this is resolved, the scheme will be launched,' he said. Sources said that under this scheme, the focus will be on waiving the Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) of domestic bills. 'LPSC charges are calculated at 18% interest plus compounding charges,' said sources. Currently, in the domestic category, the outstanding bill amount is approximately Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000 crore, out of which Rs 7,000 crore is LPSC. 'If we waive that, we will still be able to recover at least Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 crore,' said sources. 'Because several residents have not paid their bills for the past 8-9 years, this is an incentive for them to pay the principal amount. Once LPSC is waived, the government will rationalise the bills and give a timeline to the people to pay the principal amount. They will be asked to pay the bills in three to four months. No more extensions or schemes will come after this,' said sources. Besides, the minister also said that the government plans to upgrade the water billing system to address the challenges of revenue losses. According to officials, Delhi has approximately 29 lakh water connections. As per the 2011 census, Delhi has 34 lakh households. Last year, the previous AAP government also announced a one-time settlement scheme for pending water bills ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, claiming that it would benefit around 12 lakh consumers, of which 7 lakh will not have to pay any amount. However, the scheme hit a roadblock after the Finance Department raised questions and said that it would lead to financial implications. It said that the benefits of the scheme should not be given to the consumers who have not paid the bills for the last 11 years.
Axios
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Why New Orleans is the only U.S. city to regulate its investor-owned power company
After more than 100,000 Entergy customers lost power across southeast Louisiana over Memorial Day weekend in a regional regulator's bid to ease grid strain, officials are asking why no one had advance notice of the potential for outages. Why it matters: New Orleans will have a unique seat at the table alongside state regulators as they press for answers, creating an opportunity to elevate its residents' interests. Fun fact: New Orleans is the only city in the country that regulates its own investor-owned power utility in this way. For the most part, other cities in Louisiana leave it up to the state to regulate the utility. (Washington, D.C., also regulates its own power, but it exists outside state regulation and has a separate commission for the purpose.) Flashback: By the time Louisiana created its own statewide utility regulatory body (the Public Service Commission) with the 1921 state constitution, New Orleans was already serving as its own regulator, according to Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, based on power granted to it by the city charter. That constitution, Lewis tells Axios New Orleans, "included a carve-out that municipal systems would not be subject to regulatory authority without a vote of the people." That's why, for example, the LPSC doesn't regulate power in Lafayette, which has its own citizen-owned public power utility. Over the years, Lewis says, New Orleans has fought to keep its own regulating authority, even though it doesn't have a publicly owned utility. "It's been the nature of New Orleans to separate itself from portions of state law and state statute," he says. State of play: It's not clear exactly why the city wanted to keep its own regulatory authority when the LPSC was first created, but the Alliance for Affordable Energy's Yvonne Cappel-Vickery says New Orleans' needs are different from the rest of the state. "New Orleans is a transmission island," she says, which many didn't realize until Hurricane Ida, when downed transmission lines took out power for the whole city. "All power that comes in has to travel over water via transmission wires to get to us," Cappel-Vickery says, "so those needs are pretty unique compared to the whole state's needs, and New Orleans has always had a different political makeup than the larger state." Yes, but: For a short time in the 1980s, New Orleans did give regulatory control to the LPSC, but took it back over the cost of building the Grand Gulf nuclear power facility, according to the Alliance for Affordable Energy. Between the lines: New Orleans has also considered taking over its power production at various points in the past century or so. The city technically has the right to buy out its production from Entergy, Gambit reported in 2022, but few cities in modern history have successfully made the expensive and complicated transition from private to public power ownership.
The Print
20-05-2025
- Science
- The Print
India's semi-cryogenic engine revolution—SCE-200 is already in the global big league
During my recent visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram, I spoke with ISRO scientists and founders of space startups across Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Everyone was talking about semi-cryogenic propulsion. It's the tech that could change everything. For decades, India's rockets have relied on cryogenic engines—high-tech machines that burn ultra-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen. But now, a quiet revolution is happening in Indian space labs, and it's pointing in a different direction: semi-cryogenic engines. Fire, thunder, smoke, and a trembling sound fill the air as a rocket takes flight. Beneath that drama, however, is a quiet science. Every movement is controlled by calculations, chemistry that is timed to the millisecond, and thermodynamics that transforms fuel into force. Also Read: Why launch of India's 1st semi-cryogenic rocket Agnibaan by Chennai startup is a 'major milestone' What are semi-cryogenic engines? Rockets are all about power, and the type of fuel they burn plays a big role in how far they go. Traditional launchers often use solid or fully cryogenic engines. These engines, like GSLV Mk III (now known as LVM3), Chandrayaan-3's, burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. They're powerful but complex, and because hydrogen must be stored at −253°C, they require expensive insulation and precisely controlled systems. Semi-cryogenic engines offer several advantages on that front. They also use supercooled liquid oxygen, but pair it with a refined form of kerosene called RP-1. This combination ticks off several boxes: high thrust, lower cost, easier handling, and potential for reusability. While semi-cryogenic engines aren't new, powering rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Russia's Soyuz, India's homegrown version marks its own revolution. ISRO's pivot to semi-cryo In March this year, ISRO announced a 'major breakthrough' in the design and development of a semi-cryogenic engine at its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). The engine, SCE-200, delivers 2,000 kN (200 tonnes) of thrust and is currently undergoing full-duration hot tests at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, following earlier collaborative trials in Russia. Why the move? Because the advantages are too big to ignore. To begin with, semi-cryogenic engines provide greater thrust at liftoff, making them perfect for heavy payloads. The fuel is cheaper and easier to store than hydrogen, and their design is less complex, potentially improving reliability. They also support reusability, a key goal for future missions. India isn't just building a new engine. It's building a new future—the SCE-200 is comparable to the best semi-cryogenic engines in the world. Once certified, the SCE-200 will replace older stages on the LVM3 and eventually power India's reusable launch vehicles and cargo missions to space stations or even the Moon. ISRO's current heavy-lift vehicle, LVM3, is capable—but it's due for an upgrade. The upcoming HLVM3 (Human-rated LVM3), which will carry Indian astronauts under the Gaganyaan mission, is expected to swap out its older liquid stages for a new semi-cryogenic core. This single move will increase lift capacity, improve safety margins, and enable longer-term goals like space station deployment, lunar bases, and Mars missions. A new public-private engine room One of the most exciting things happening in Indian aerospace is how the government and startups are finally building together, better late than never. Post-2020 reforms and the creation of IN-SPACe—an agency to promote private sector participation in space—opened up ISRO's infrastructure to private companies. The result has been a propulsion renaissance of sorts. Among the startups in this space, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is developing semi-cryopowered variants of its Vikram rocket series, with an eye on modular, scalable launches. Chennai's Agnikul Cosmos is pushing the boundaries with 3D-printed, single-piece semi-cryogenic engines like Agnilet, dramatically cutting down manufacturing time and cost. And Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace is working on semi-cryogenic and green in-space propulsion systems, key to future satellite servicing and orbital transport. Together, these fast, inventive, and globally ambitious startups are building India's new propulsion economy. Also Read: Why ISRO's new testing facility for home-grown cryogenic engines is key to India's astronaut dream India's moment in the global launch economy From 2020 to 2023, the global space economy grew from $447 billion to over $570 billion, with the satellite launch market alone projected to reach $30 billion by 2030. India currently holds less than 2 per cent of global commercial launch revenue—but that figure is poised to change. India is concentrating on improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of its launch vehicles with the forming of semi-cryogenic engines like the SCE-200. Compared to existing cryogenic upper stages, semi-cryogenic propulsion, which uses liquid oxygen and refined kerosene (RP-1 or comparable), provide better specific impulse and higher thrust-to-weight ratios. The cost per kilogramme to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for ISRO's most potent operational launcher, the LVM3, is currently between $3,000 and $5,000. However, with effective mass production and reusable Merlin 1D semi-cryogenic engines, SpaceX's Falcon 9 has lowered this cost to about $1,500 to $2,200 per kg. By switching to semi-cryogenic propulsion, ISRO may be able to cut launch costs by 30–40 per cent, to about $1,800–$3,200 per kilogramme, especially when combined with reusability features. This will increase India's competitiveness against industry titans like SpaceX, Arianespace, and China's CASC and bring its launch capabilities considerably closer to the international commercial norm. Additionally, the thrust class of the SCE-200 (200 tonnes) puts it in line with the most recent booster engine development, enabling India to increase payload capacity for both orbital and interplanetary missions while reducing per-mission costs through economies of scale. Moreover, ISRO's PSLV and LVM3 missions already boast a launch success rate of over 95 per cent, and India has launched more than 430 foreign satellites to date. With semi-cryo integration and reusability, these numbers could scale drastically—positioning India as a low-cost, high-reliability launch hub for small satellite constellations, lunar payloads, and interplanetary missions. This propulsion shift aligns with India's ambition to claim a $50 billion (10 per cent) share in the global space market by 2030, as projected by the Indian Space Association (ISpA). Semi-cryogenic technology is the engine behind that vision. Semi-cryogenic propulsion isn't just an incremental upgrade—it's a transformative leap. These engines offer 30–40 per cent more thrust than conventional liquid engines, use RP-1 which is 10x denser than hydrogen (allowing compact design), and can cut launch costs by up to 20 per cent. India's entry into this league with indigenous development marks a critical inflection point. As a physicist, I see this as both a thermodynamic and economic optimisation—essential for scalable, reusable, and interplanetary missions. India is not catching up; it is leapfrogging into the propulsion technologies of tomorrow. Nishant Sahdev is a theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. He posts on X @NishantSahdev. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
La. Public Service Commission might scrap new energy efficiency program
From left, Louisiana Public Service Commissioners Mike Francis, Jean-Paul Coussan and Eric Skrmetta during a Feb. 19, 2025, PSC meeting. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) In a surprise agenda change for Wednesday's meeting, the Louisiana Public Service Commission will consider terminating a statewide energy efficiency program it just recently hired a contractor to run after spending 14 years to create it. Commissioner Mike Francis, R-Crowley, added the agenda item Monday, two days before the LPSC meets at the Cypress Bend Resort in Many. Most of the commission's monthly meetings are held at its headquarters in Baton Rouge, but members periodically schedule hearings in different parts of the state. 'Commissioner Francis' decision to bring this vote with virtually no notice leaves little time for public input on an issue that directly impacts household budgets and statewide energy policy,' the Alliance for Affordable Energy said in a statement issued Tuesday. The proposal would end all energy efficiency programs in the state, except for municipal-owned utilities that don't fall under the LPSC's jurisdiction. The Alliance noted that residential electricity rates in Louisiana have increased roughly 45% since 2018, stressing the need for a greater emphasis on efficiency programs. 'This is the only program the commission has to help residents manage rising bills,' the group's news release said. In January 2024, the LPSC voted 3-2 on energy efficiency resources standards (EERC) that a consultant had worked on for over a decade at a cost of more than a half-million dollars. The policy requires utilities under the commission's jurisdiction — such as Entergy, Cleco and Swepco — to meet certain energy savings targets each year. For example, they can meet the standards through customer-focused upgrades such as adding new insulation to buildings or replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems. The utilities pay for it with little-noticed energy efficiency fees they've charged customers for years. Entergy Louisiana customers can find those fees on their monthly statements billed as 'Rider EECR-QS' and 'Rider EECR-PE.' Louisiana ushers in new energy efficiency policy with an uproar The energy efficiency program used in Louisiana for the past decade was voluntary, and utility companies managed them with their own staff. Energy efficiency presents a dilemma for utilities because they lead to customers using less of their product, an inherent conflict of interest for companies that profit from the sale of electricity or natural gas. The program adopted in 2024 is mandatory and uses a third-party administrator to manage and hold the utilities to the energy savings targets. The LPSC recently hired two companies, Aptim and TetraTech, to provide those services. Francis is proposing to terminate those contracts and establish a different energy efficiency policy. In a phone interview Tuesday, he said the current policy framework is too complex and believes it will cost too much money. 'You need a lawyer and a CPA to work through all of this,' Francis said. 'It's pretty complicated.' Francis initially opposed adopting the program in 2024 alongside Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, R-Metairie. Former Commissioner Craig Greene, R-Baton Rouge, provided the swing vote that passed the measure, which had support from the LPSC's two Democrats, Foster Campbell of Bossier City and Davanté Lewis of Baton Rouge. Debate on the matter at that time attracted ratepayers who filled the meeting room and chanted, demanding commissioners vote on the new program after hours of discussion. That memory wasn't lost on Francis, who admitted his latest proposal might not be popular with some members of the public. 'I'm probably making some enemies doing this,' he said. Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan, R-Lafayette, who now sits on the commission in place of Greene, will likely be the deciding vote Wednesday. 'Sounds like there are several ideas being bandied about regarding the program,' Coussan said, offering few clues about how he intends to vote. 'I'm anxious to hear more about the proposals.' The program is the first of its kind in the Southeast run by a third-party administrator. It 'is especially important when it comes to both environmental protection and electricity system affordability,' said Joshua A. Basseches, an assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy at Tulane University. 'Scrapping it now would not only be bad public policy, but would also set a bad precedent in terms of process.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor would appoint two members to expanded La. Public Service Commission under proposal
From left, Louisiana Public Service Commissioners Mike Francis, Jean-Paul Coussan and Eric Skrmetta during a Feb. 19, 2025, PSC meeting. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) State lawmakers will consider a proposal this spring to let the governor add two at-large members to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, meaning voters would no longer elect all members of one of the state's most powerful political institutions. House Bill 364, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville, is a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the governor to hand select two additional members to the commission that regulates utilities in Louisiana. LPSC currently has five members, each elected from their respective multi-parish districts. The two gubernatorial appointees would be able to serve two consecutive four-year terms. The five elected commissioners are currently limited to three consecutive six-year terms. The five LPSC districts are larger and more populous than Louisiana's six congressional districts, giving the commissioners significant influence on matters of everyday concern to residents, though an at-large commissioner would have far greater influence than the current five. The commission determines how much utilities can charge their customers for their services that include electricity, water, gas, cable television, phone and internet service. A utility provider needs LPSC approval before raising rates or adding any kinds of fees to customers' bills. The most important election in Louisiana that many don't even know about The commission oversees major investor-owned utilities such as Cleco and Entergy Louisiana, as well as smaller, member-owned power cooperatives such as DEMCO. Its regulatory umbrella covers the entire state, save for a handful of city-owned utilities and private service providers in New Orleans and other cities, which fall under the jurisdiction of local governments. LPSC members also have oversight of intrastate oil pipelines, tow truck services and moving companies. Each commissioner is also supposed to represent constituents in their districts in any disputes they have with utility companies. 'It only takes three members to control rates over the entire state,' Deshotel said, referring to the three-vote majority needed for a measure to pass on the five-member panel. 'I just think we need more representation.' Some are skeptical of the proposal. Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan, a Republican and former state senator from Lafayette, said he has great respect for the legislative process and his former colleague but doesn't think the addition of two appointed members would accomplish Deshotel's stated intention of increasing representation. 'They wouldn't be answerable to a constituency, so it kinda defeats the purpose of his goal,' Coussan said. 'I don't see how two appointees who only answer to the governor would accomplish that.' Coussan said Deshotel's proposal would drastically overhaul an institution that works with companies and residents through regulatory processes that have been relatively consistent over the years. Such changes would send a discouraging message to the major stakeholders investing in Louisiana who are familiar with and rely on the LPSC's stable regulatory environment, he added. Commissioner Davante Lewis, D-Baton Rouge, questioned Dehotel's motives, saying the governor is the only person who would gain representation and power under the proposal. 'It truly dilutes the people's will by reducing their vote,' Lewis said. 'If it was truly about representation, wouldn't he just make the districts smaller by adding [elected] members?' Louisiana's largest industries tired of waiting for renewable energy During the most recent round of redistricting in 2022, the legislature chose to keep the number of LPSC members at five. There were no proposals to add elected members to the commission, but there were some that sought to redraw the map to include a second majority-Black district. Lawmakers ultimately rejected those measures. Deshotel said adding appointed rather than elected members would keep out the vast amounts of campaign cash that special interests have used to influence LPSC elections, though he hedged his statement by saying he doesn't think that it has affected any of the current commissioners. 'These are extremely expensive elections, and most of the donations come from the same people that they're regulating,' Deshotel said. He added that he plans to file a campaign finance reform bill targeting LSPC elections in the future if his constitutional amendment stalls at the Capitol this year. Constitutional amendments require two-thirds support from each chamber of the legislature and final approval from Louisiana voters during a statewide election. The 2025 legislative session starts Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
