Category Archives: Coal

Seven Reasons Cheap Oil Can’t Stop Renewables Now

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Ritesh Pothan

  Oil prices have fallen by more than half since July. Just five years ago, such a plunge in fossil fuels would have put the renewable-energy industry on bankruptcy watch. Today: Meh. Here are seven reasons why humanity’s transition to … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Coal, Fossil Fuel, Greenhouse Gases, Grid Connected, Grid Interactive Distributed Solar Energy Systems, India, News, Pollution, PV, Renewables, Solar, USA, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

India’s solar dream fuelled by global trends

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Ritesh Pothan

The country plans to install 100 GW capacity of solar-generated electricity by 2022, a five-time increase from a previous target. India’s plan to install 100 GW capacity of solar-generated electricity by 2022, a five-time increase from a previous target, only … Continue reading →

Posted in Batch I, Batch II, Climate Change, Coal, Commercial, Crystalline, Fossil Fuel, Global Warming, Grid Connected, Grid Interactive Distributed Solar Energy Systems, JNNSM, Phase I, Phase II, Power Generation, PV, Renewables, Residential, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Parks, Solar Pumps, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Tranche I | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cabinet approves Electricity Bill Amendment including Mega Solar

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

The Cabinet has cleared amendments to the Electricity Act to bring in more reforms and increase competition. It also approved an ambitious 20,000 megawatts (MW) solar power proposal, which the government says will help India become a global leader in … Continue reading →

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Finally government acknowledges efficiency is the solution and not price hikes for the power sector

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

Click here for my article that details the losses of Rs. 75,000 Crores but inept Discoms.  This does not even include the power plant efficiencies. Next Steps for the Indian power industry Minister for power, coal and renewable energy Piyush … Continue reading →

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The German Coal Conundrum, busting the myth – The status of coal power in Germany’s energy transition

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

Is Germany building new coal plants to replace nuclear despite the country’s green ambitions? Many observers conclude so. But an in-depth look reveals that the growth of renewables has more than replaced nuclear power over the past decade. Coal is … Continue reading →

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Coal isn’t going away soon! China’s clean fuel focus tests U.S. coal exports lifeline

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

A child wearing a mask plays in the heavy smog in Qingdao in east China’s Shandong province on Jan. 24, 2013. Experts say that if China wants to avoid the kind of smog that choked the country earlier, it must … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Climate Change, Coal, Fossil Fuel, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Pollution, Power Generation, USA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How fossil fuel interests are funding renewable battles

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

Ritesh- While this may be for the US, it’s also true across the globe and can be so for our country too except that we don’t have a transparent view into the going ons in government. Yesterday, Ohio became the … Continue reading →

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Ramesh Agrawal wins 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize for his crusade against coal

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

With a small internet café as his headquarters, Ramesh Agrawal organized villagers to demand their right to information about industrial development projects and succeeded in shutting down one of the largest proposed coal mines in Chhattisgarh. With a rapidly growing … Continue reading →

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In Latest Step In Its ‘War On Smog’ Effort, China Says It Will Triple Solar Capacity to 70 GW By 2017

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

As part of its notorious “war on smog” and effort to cut its reliance on coal, the Chinese government on Friday announced that it would speed up solar power development in the country by tripling installed capacity to 70 gigawatts … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomass, China, Climate Change, Coal, Geothermal, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Grid Connected, Hydro, Pollution, Power Generation, Renewables, Solar, Solar Policy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The top 5 trends in India on Energy

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

1. There isn’t enough coal to supply India’s need for the next decade 2. Clean Energy is the next evolution which has come of age with Solar energy generation now equivalent to Thermal 3. Nuclear isn’t going to solve even … Continue reading →

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Biomass Emissions Question Arises Again

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

It’s called “urban biomass,” and it’s ours (spsmw.org). Hard to imagine a subject that would find The Wall Street Journal and Grist in line with each other’s thinking, but burning wood for energy has achieved it. Neither outlet seems to … Continue reading →

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The 3 Most Sobering Graphics From The U.N.’s New Climate Report

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

The overall message of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s newest report is simple: a rapid shift to renewable energy is needed to avert catastrophic global warming. The science behind that message, however, is less simple. In an attempt to make the … Continue reading →

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Citigroup says the ‘Age of Renewables’ has begun

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Ritesh Pothan

Investment banking giant Citigroup has hailed the start of the “age of renewables” in the United States, the world’s biggest electricity market, saying that solar and wind energy are getting competitive with natural gas peaking and baseload plants – even … Continue reading →

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How to lose half a trillion euros – Europe’s electricity providers face an existential threat

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Ritesh: This a scenario that we should see in India in the foreseeable future and if our DISCOMs aren’t geared up will face a fate similar to those in Europe and in the near future, USA. Our policy makers need to … Continue reading →

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Warming Plateau? Climatologists Face Inconvenient Truth

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Data shows global temperatures aren’t rising the way climate scientists have predicted. Now the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change faces a problem: publicize these findings and encourage skeptics — or hush up the figures. For a quarter of a century … Continue reading →

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Poor Chinese power imports: Consumers to bear the brunt

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Poor quality of Chinese equipment imports to add to power production woes For years, Indian power equipment manufacturers have been complaining to the government over cheap imports from other countries, especially China. On their part, government did bring in some measures to protect … Continue reading →

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German Utilities Hammered in Market Favoring Renewable Energy

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Natgrp: Indian Discoms will follow once Solar gains significant traction and fear renewables for the right reasons. Lets endeavour to make Solar a reality everywhere Dusseldorf, Germany — Germany, Europe’s biggest electricity market, is beating up its traditional utilities. RWE AG and … Continue reading →

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India allows power firms to pass on imported coal costs – Your Electric Bill is on its way up coupled with harmful emissions too

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Natgrp: If we improve our grid Infrastructure as well as generation capabilities we don’t need to add a single MW for the next few years but bottom line takes precedence. Our investment should be in Solar power with storage which … Continue reading →

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Indian coal plant standards allow four to twenty times more deadly pollution than China – India Environment Post

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

India does not yet have the economic might that China does, but the country prides itself on being a vibrant democracy, where diverse and discordant political opinions are not only welcome but even encouraged. This of course stands in stark … Continue reading →

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Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2013 – International Energy Agency

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The 22 countries that participate in the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) share a strong interest in the development and deployment of clean energy technologies. As these same countries represent more than 75% of global energy consumption, 80% of global CO2 emissions and 75% … Continue reading →

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Australia moves from coal to renewables: 51 percent by 2050

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

A farmer plows a field in front of wind turbines at the Infigen Energy wind farm located on the hills surrounding Lake George, 50 km north of the Australian capital city of Canberra May 13, 2013. Credit:Reuters Australia, one of the … Continue reading →

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Power Shortage and Its Impact on the Indian Economy

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The power supply position of the country remains grim even in the first year of 12th Five year plan 2012-2017 in spite of massive 55000 MW capacity addition in the 11th plan against meagre capacity addition of 21000 MW in … Continue reading →

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Mixed Greens: EU talks climate targets as global fossil subsidies hit $2tn for oil, natural gas, coal and electricity production

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The European Union has proposed a new package of carbon and renewable energy targets for 2030 that could see the introduction of a 40 per cent carbon reduction target, as well as a 30 per cent share target for renewable … Continue reading →

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Coal Power Plant Emissions killing thousands prematurely

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Emissions from coal-fired plants across the country may have resulted in thousands of premature deaths and condemned millions more to various respiratory ailments every year, says a study by the groups Conservation Action Trust (CAT), Urban Emissions and Greenpeace. A first-of-its-kind … Continue reading →

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Costs of not using Renewable Energy in excess of $ 3.2 Trillion Annually, says Study

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

It is often claimed that renewables are still too costly and not yet competitive with conventional energy sources. But what costs are incurred when renewable energies are not used? Every day during which potential renewable energy sources are not utilised … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass, Coal, Crystalline, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Hydro, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Tidal, Waste, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Germany’s power market is broken: Macquarie – the dark side of Renewable Energy

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

LONDON: Germany’s strong support for renewable energy has broken its electricity market, where incentives are lacking to build back-up power plants and cheap coal prices discourage the use of cleaner gas plants, investment bank Macquarie said. Retail prices in Germany will continue to rise to cover … Continue reading →

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Rajasthan may face blackout from Sunday as NTPC threatens to snap supply for defaulting on Rs 367 crore pay

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Natgrp: Why are we not surprised that centralized power is not a true solution. In a regulatory notice to the three distribution companies NTPC has said it would either curb the supply of 1258-MW or regulate it.   Consumers in … Continue reading →

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Power tariffs to move in line with rising input cost: Power Ministry, Ball now in DISCOMs Court

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

However, the Power Ministry is of the opinion that hikes in power tariffs could be “moderated” if the efficiency of distribution companies — many of which are loss-making — are improved.   Indicating that power tariffs could go up further, Power Ministry … Continue reading →

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India is likely to be second largest consumer of coal, may surpass US in five years: IEA

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

 India is likely to be the second largest consumer of coal, surpassing the United States, in the next five years, says a report. “China and India would lead the growth in coal consumption over the next five years…while India will become … Continue reading →

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44,000 MW Coal Capacity likely to be stranded soon because of paucity of coal

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

In another push for renewables, private power producers have opposed cost plus pricing of coal. They fear that the proposed Coal Regulatory Authority Bill would encourage such regimes. Ashok Khurana, Director-General of Association of Power Producers (APP), has written to … Continue reading →

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