The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has extended the solar and wind projects commissioning deadline to be eligible for the waiver of the interstate transmission system (ISTS) charges to October 1, 2023. Earlier, the Ministry of Power waived ISTS charges on all solar and wind projects commissioned before June 30, 2023. The ISTS charges waiver will be applicable for 25 years from the commissioning date for the transmission and sale to entities with renewable purchase obligations.

The Jabalpur Division of the West Central Railway has invited bids for the empanelment of developers to set up 1.65 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at various locations under its jurisdiction on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer basis. The successful bidder must also take care of the project’s operation and maintenance for 25 years. The projects will be developed through a public-private partnership. The last date to submit the bids is July 6, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission has notified the new renewable purchase obligation (RPO) for the state to include energy storage and move solar along with biomass into the other RPO category. The new policy provides an RPO trajectory until the financial year (FY) 2029-2030. The changes align with the regulation issued by the Ministry of Power and will be effective from April 1, 2024.

The Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam has floated a tender for developing a 4.24 MW grid-connected solar power project under Component ‘C’ of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan program for feeder polarization. The project will be developed using the Renewable Energy Service Company model and located near 33/11 kV Datwas Substation under A-II Newali Sub-division of Tonk Circle.

Global technology-enabled energy storage business Eku Energy has commissioned a 150 MW/ 150 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the site of the former Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria in Australia, in collaboration with France-based multinational utility firm ENGIE and global storage products and services provider Fluence. Hazelwood is the first coal-fired power station to retire in Australia to host a BESS, to be set as an example for repurposing former thermal assets for renewable energy technologies, the company said in a statement.

The energy storage market in the U.S., including grid-scale, residential and community, commercial, and industrial segments, experienced a 26% decline in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, adding a total of 2,145 MWh, found the latest report by Wood Mackenzie. In the grid-scale segment specifically, installations reached 1,553 MWh during Q1 2023, marking the second consecutive quarterly decrease and a 33% drop compared to the installations in Q1 of 2022.

A recent study by environmental researchers from renowned universities across the globe highlights a credibility gap between the climate change goals and the on-ground policy implementation by countries, which shows that the global targets could be missed by a large margin. The global climate policy is currently undergoing a significant transformation. Previously centered around setting ambitious targets, the focus has shifted towards implementation strategies to achieve these goals, according to the study published in the scientific journal ‘Science.’