Latest news with #RERC
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rajasthan struggles to utilise solar power despite leading generation capacity
Despite being a leader in solar power generation and having the largest capacity of solar plants, the Rajasthan govt has been failing to tap green power for its own use. Renewable energy contributes only about 16 per cent of total power consumption of 3,200 lakh units a day. While the political leaders laud Rajasthan's achievement in solar, they barely talk of increasing green power consumption in the state, preferring to buy costly coal-based power despite discoms being burdened with a debt of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore. A tender for new coal power plants of 3,200 MW is set to be floated, for which Urja Vikas has sent the final document for the approval of the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC). Out of the total 37,000 MW wind and solar power plants in the state, only 11,000 MW are meant for Rajasthan's consumption. Power from the rest of the projects goes to other states. Centre for Energy, Environment & People (CEEP)'s Anshuman Gothwal, said, "Persistent inefficiencies and systemic issues have prevented state power utilities from fully leveraging the state's abundant solar potential. The state's generation utility, RVUNL, lacks a long-term vision for integrating renewable energy and has made little headway on its 2,000 MW solar project." Highlighting the fragmented approach of discoms, Gothwal said shifting between HAM tenders, the Kusum scheme, and other methods without a clear or consistent strategy has resulted in underutilisation of the state's vast solar resources for its own consumption. In fact, RERC made provisions in 2010 that a certain portion of the power consumed in the state has to come from renewable energy. Every year, the targets are set under the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). But not even in one year are the targets met. Even though there was a provision for a penalty, it was circumvented. For example, Rajasthan govt should have had 20 per cent of total power consumption from renewable sources in 2022-23. But the shortfall was over 24 per cent. In the past 13 years since RPO regulations came in, discoms and other obligatory entities of the power sector have missed targets every year. Director at Samta Power, an NGO in the energy sector, DD Agarwal, said, "RERC should not have allowed carry forward the backlog every year. This is one of the major reasons that the discoms have remained careless about the targets." Agarwal said Rajasthan's land is used extensively for the generation of solar power, affecting its environment and ecology. "But Rajasthan, which needs solar power the most to fix its unmanageable debt of the discoms, is deprived of the benefits," added Agarwal. Typically, one mega watt of installed capacity of solar power takes about 4 acres of land. With 37,000 MW of installed capacity, the total area under solar in Rajasthan is around 1.5 lakh acres.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Solar leader Raj banks on costlier coal power, not green energy
Jaipur: Despite being a leader in solar power generation and having the largest capacity of solar plants, the Rajasthan govt has been failing to tap green power for its own use. Renewable energy contributes only about 16% of total power consumption of 3,200 lakh units a day. While the political leaders laud Rajasthan's achievement in solar, they barely talk of increasing green power consumption in the state, preferring to buy costly coal-based power despite discoms being burdened with a debt of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore. A tender for new coal power plants of 3,200 MW is set to be floated, for which Urja Vikas has sent the final document for the approval of the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC). Out of the total 37,000 MW wind and solar power plants in the state, only 11,000 MW are meant for Rajasthan's consumption. Power from the rest of the projects goes to other states. Centre for Energy, Environment & People (CEEP)'s Anshuman Gothwal, said, "Persistent inefficiencies and systemic issues have prevented state power utilities from fully leveraging the state's abundant solar potential. The state's generation utility, RVUNL, lacks a long-term vision for integrating renewable energy and has made little headway on its 2,000 MW solar project. " Highlighting the fragmented approach of discoms, Gothwal said shifting between HAM tenders, the Kusum scheme, and other methods without a clear or consistent strategy has resulted in underutilisation of the state's vast solar resources for its own consumption. In fact, RERC made provisions in 2010 that a certain portion of the power consumed in the state has to come from renewable energy. Every year, the targets are set under the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). But not even in one year are the targets met. Even though there was a provision for a penalty, it was circumvented. For example, Rajasthan govt should have had 20% of total power consumption from renewable sources in 2022-23. But the shortfall was over 24%. In the past 13 years since RPO regulations came in, discoms and other obligatory entities of the power sector have missed targets every year. Director at Samta Power, an NGO in the energy sector, DD Agarwal, said, "RERC should not have allowed carry forward the backlog every year. This is one of the major reasons that the discoms have remained careless about the targets." Agarwal said Rajasthan's land is used extensively for the generation of solar power, affecting its environment and ecology. "But Rajasthan, which needs solar power the most to fix its unmanageable debt of the discoms, is deprived of the benefits," added Agarwal. Typically, one mega watt of installed capacity of solar power takes about 4 acres of land. With 37,000 MW of installed capacity, the total area under solar in Rajasthan is around 1.5 lakh acres.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rajasthan: RERC approves tariff for 1000 MWh battery energy storage system project
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission ( RERC ) has approved the tariff for a 1000 megawatt-hour (MWh) standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. The RERC approved the tariff rates submitted by bidding energy companies, paving the way for the rapid development of energy storage infrastructure in the state. The project will be implemented by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited ( RRVUNL ) under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support from the Government of India. Minister of State for Energy (Independent Charge), Hiralal Nagar , informed that leading companies participated in the competitive bidding process. The approved tariff ranged from Rs. 2.21 lakh to Rs. 2.24 lakh per MWh per month, the lowest rate in the country so far. The RERC has endorsed the tender process conducted by RRVUNL as fair, transparent, and in accordance with market standards. The process also aligns with the Central government's guidelines on battery storage systems, aimed at ensuring grid stability and effective integration of renewable energy. Hiralal Nagar emphasised that Rajasthan is moving decisively toward becoming a green energy hub. The approved BESS project will allow energy generated from solar and wind sources to be stored and utilised as per demand, significantly enhancing energy efficiency. The Central government is providing VGF assistance of Rs 27 lakh per MWh for these projects. BESS installations are planned at select strategic sites, including grid substations in Jaipur and Kota , and power stations in Suratgarh and Giral , chosen for their technical and operational suitability. The implementation of BESS will help reduce the dependency on expensive peak-hour power purchases by distribution companies (DISCOMs), potentially saving up to Rs 1 crore per day. Chairman and Managing Director of RRVUNL, Devendra Shringi, said that the Union Ministry of Power has recently allocated an additional 4,000 MWh BESS capacity to Rajasthan. Under this new allocation, VGF of Rs 18 lakh per MWh will be provided from the Power System Development Fund . He further stated that Rajasthan is fast emerging as a national leader in battery energy storage. The state government has set a target of developing 18.5 GWh of battery storage capacity by 2028-29. In addition to the 1,000 MWh BESS project by RRVUNL, separate tenders have been floated by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam for another 1,000 MWh project. This aligns with the state's budget announcement to establish 2,000 MWh of battery energy storage capacity, which is expected to attract investments of around Rs. 2,000 crore.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Discoms lower tariff for BPL, Astha categories to 4.5 a unit
Jaipur: The state's discoms, in their revised petitions to Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) for approval of aggregate revenue requirement (ARR), electricity tariffs, and investment plans for financial year 2025–26, have reduced the power rates proposed for BPL and Astha consumers. Earlier, Rs 6 a unit was proposed for these categories of consumers. Discoms, during the hearing of their petitions by RERC Monday, said they brought down the rate to Rs 4.5 a unit considering the views of stakeholders. However, stakeholders said that the tariff was still higher compared to states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, where the rates are Rs 1.5 and 1.56, respectively. They highlighted that the effective fixed charge for BPL and Astha Card consumers in Rajasthan, calculated based on data from the Jaipur discom, stands at Rs 421 per kW per month, substantially higher than the corresponding rates in other states, which are just Rs 5 in Gujarat and Rs 34 in Maharashtra. Anshuman Gothwal from Centre for Energy and Environment People (CEEP) expressed concern over the continued issues of inequity and the lack of cost-reflectiveness in the proposed tariff structure. He said, "The tariff design appears to favour high-consumption households, as they bear comparatively lower fixed charges on a per-kW basis. This results in low-usage, economically weaker consumers effectively subsidising those with higher electricity consumption—an outcome that contradicts the principles of progressive and equitable tariff design. "
Local France
07-04-2025
- Local France
Paris transport users warned of delays across services this week
The capital city's public transport system will be hit by quite a bit of disruption this week - from Monday, April 7th to Sunday, April 13th. The reasons vary, but in many cases, disruption is related to ongoing works and events, like the Paris Marathon, French daily Le Parisien reported. Before travelling, you should check the RATP website for an update on the latest traffic conditions. Here are the lines that will be affected; Commuter RER trains The RER network connects inner Paris with the suburb surrounding the city. This week, there will be heavy disruption on the RER lines B, C and D. There will be replacement buses, but beware that it may take longer than usual to get to your destination. RER B From Monday to Friday - after 10.45pm each night - traffic will be halted between Châtelet and Charles de Gaulle airport/ Mitry-Claye. There will be a replacement buss available. Advertisement RER C (Monday to Friday) After 11.30pm - there will be no traffic between Javel and Saint-Quentin en Yvelines; between Paris Austerlitz and Dourdan/Saint-Martin d'Étampes; and between Versailles Château Rive Gauche and Javel. After 11pm, traffic will also be suspended between Paris Austerlitz and Jusivy (via Choisy-le-Roi), as well as between Av Henri Martin and Montigny Beauchamp/Pontoise. Between 9.15am to 3.30pm, stops between Choisy-le-Rois going toward Bibliothèque F Mitterand will not be served. This would mean the stops: Les Ardoines, Vitry-sur-Seine and Ivry-sur-Seine. RER C (Saturday and Sunday) From 11.50pm onward, traffic will no longer run from Invalides toward Versailles Château Rive Gauche. From 11.45pm onward, traffic will be halted between Paris Austerlitz and Juvisy (via Choisy-le-Roi). On Saturday, from 11.55pm, and Sunday, from 11.45pm, traffic will be halted between Paris Austerlitz and Dourdan/Saint-Martin d'Étampes. RER D From Monday to Friday, starting at 11.20pm, no trains will run between Gare du Nord and Creil. Advertisement Metro Lines Line 6 - Traffic will not run between Nation and Daumesnil on Saturday (April 12th) and Sunday (April 13th) due to ongoing works. Replacement buses will be available. Line 12 - On Sunday, April 13, starting at 10 p.m., traffic will be interrupted on the entire line. Line 14 - On Monday and Tuesday, starting at 10pm, services will not run between Maison Blanche and Saint-Denis-Pleyel - so most of the line. Transiliens Line H - From Monday to Friday (from 10pm onward), traffic will be suspended between Gare du Nord and Persan–Beaumont (via Montsoult–Maffliers, Mériel); between Gare du Nord and Luzarches; and between Gare du Nord and Pontoise. Line J - On Saturday and Sunday, services will be suspended between Gare Saint-Lazare and Mantes-la-Jolie via Poissy. Line N - From Monday to Friday no trains will run from Montparnasse to Rambouillet from 11.20pm onward, and from Rambouillet to Montparnasse no trains will run from 11pm onward. From Monday to Friday, from 9pm, no trains will run between Dreux and Gare Montparnasse. Line P - From Monday to Friday, starting at 9.45pm, no trains will run between Gare de l'Est and Provins. From Monday to Friday, from 10.15pm onward, traffic will be suspended between Gare de l'Est and Coulommiers. On Saturday and Sunday, no trains will run between these stations. From Monday to Friday, starting at 10.20pm, traffic will be suspended between Gare de l'Est and Meaux, as well as between Gare de l'Est and Château-Thierry. On Saturday and Sunday, trains will not run between these stations either. Trams T3b - On Sunday, from 6.30am to 6.30pm, the tram will not run between Porte Dauphine (Avenue Foch) and Porte Maillot (Palais des Congrès) due to the Paris Marathon. T12 - On Wednesday, from 10pm onward, traffic will be suspended along the entire tram line. On Saturday and Sunday, traffic will be suspended between Massy Palaiseau and Épinay-sur-Orge.
