Policy

The subsidies to renewable energy went from a high of Rs 15,313 crore in FY2017 to Rs 9,930 crore in FY2019. At the same time, government subsidies for oil and gas went up from Rs 40,762 crore in FY2017 to Rs 67,679 crore in FY2019. Unprecedented resource crunch post-Covid-19, however, presents a good opportunity for the government to rein in specific fossil fuel subsidies while creating more fiscal room for promoting renewables and other welfare schemes—according to a new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

Up to 150 GW of PV and wind projects could be postponed or canceled throughout the Asia-Pacific region by 2024 if the coronavirus-triggered recession continues beyond the current year, according to new research by Wood Mackenzie.

Distributed generation with battery storage can revolutionize solar development in India in the shortest time period with minimal investment.

A blanket extension equivalent to the period of lockdown and additional 30 days for normalisation after the end of the lockdown is allowed for completion of solar projects.

The draft Electricity Bill 2020 moves us with a toolbox of structural reforms, towards not only efficient but also a progressive electricity market.

The Indian government is working on the creation of a Rs 10,000 crore (US$1.3 billion) alternative investment fund to provide payments to PV developers.

The new guidelines on Covid-19 lockdown permit certain industrial activities, including the construction of renewable energy projects from April 20, 2020, in areas not identified as containment zones of the country. The industry will, however, have to abide by the safety protocols.

The financial lender will now oversee the implementation of the second phase of the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme which provides viability gap funding (VGF) support for state-run generators to set up 12 GW of solar projects using domestically-made equipment by FY 2022-23.

Due to temporary disruptions caused by Covid-19 epidemic and the current lockdown, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has notified six months extension in the effective dates for the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). The list is now set to apply from the end of September 2020.

Pinaki Bhattacharyya, Amp Energy India MD and CEO, speaks to pv magazine about the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the solar industry and the ways in which the government can build a positive sentiment in the industry.