Policy

The industry needs to cut a dependence on electric vehicle battery imports from China, according to the road transport minister, who said the government is looking to support research into alternatives to lithium-ion technology.

The overall energy outlay of Rs 6984.73 crore for the year 2020-21 is much lower than 2019-20’s revised estimate of Rs 11,639 crore.

Solar and wind projects commissioned beyond the year 2022—at least till mid of 2023—may be eligible for interstate transmission charges waiver on the electricity generated.

The ‘175 GW by 2022’ renewable energy target seems unachievable, necessitating the benchmark be moved to ‘450 GW by 2030’ instead. But even that will require the sector to move back to the front foot from 2021.

Foreign direct investment into Indian solar concerns from China and other neighboring countries will now have to secure the approval of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Defining energy storage under the Electricity Act could help start ancillary services and frequency regulation through energy storage as a flexible asset. It will also help to enable electric vehicle charging infrastructure, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) concepts and microgrids integration with expanded grid connectivity in the long run, according to the industry body.

The developer is reported to have exercised an option to double the 4 GW of solar generation capacity and 1 GW of cell and module production facilities it secured in the manufacturing-linked solar tender carried out by the Solar Energy Corporation of India in November.

Module manufacturers in special economic zones would be at a disadvantage when selling in the domestic market as they would be required to pay basic customs duty on the value of solar modules.

The prime minister again emphasized the need for India to develop a domestic solar manufacturing industry and also urged officials to get on with plans to make Ladakh carbon-neutral.

The Italian government has raised the tax breaks it offers for building renovations and energy-requalification projects – potentially including storage-backed rooftop PV systems – to 110%. The new measure is part of the Relaunch Decree, which is a package of guidelines aimed at reviving the Italian economy in response to the Covid-19 crisis.