New Delhi: Delhi will switch off non-essential lights for one hour on Friday in a replay of the Earth Hour celebration on March 28 that saved 1,000 MW of power. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said:

The Ministry of Power and Energy has been mobilising Tk 40,000 crore to generate 5,000MW of electricity to reduce load shedding into a tolerable level within next four and half years during the term of the present government.

The ministry has placed its mega plan of power generation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office yesterday.

The second oil crisis of 1979 had just ended when the Government of Sri Lanka decided in 1982 to place energy efficiency and demand management as the top priority, with the energy ministry functioning directly under the President.

India yesterday assured Bangladesh of not building any irrigation project downstream of the Tipaimukh hydro power structure in Manipur.

Indian ministries of power, external affairs and water resources conveyed the message to the parliamentary delegation from Bangladesh in an hour-long interaction at the South Block of the Secretariat Building in New Delhi.

Pakistan and Tajikistan on Wednesday agreed to initiate a strategic dialogue on regional peace, security and development, besides co-operation in energy sector.

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc unit PSE&G can spend $515 million of ratepayer money for 80 megawatts of solar power projects, New Jersey utility regulators ruled on Wednesday.

Regulators reduced PSE&G's original proposal of $773 million for 120 megawatts of solar power. The state utility regulating board killed plans for solar panels on government buildings.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, is burning more crude in domestic power plants to keep new wells pumping and produce cleaner electricity, likely eliminating demand for imported fuel this summer.

By D P Sen Gupta

When we in cities, swelter in summer heat, following power-cuts, we seldom think about the other Indians who live in villages and suffer power-cuts at least 6-8 hours every day, if they have power connection at all.

The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code in government buildings and building complexes to bring down the estimated average energy use for new buildings by 25 per cent to 40 per cent.

The Cape Cod resort area, famous for sandy beaches and centuries-old fishing villages, could in the next few years claim a new title of home to the United States' first offshore wind farm.