In a piece of good news for the millions of power-starved in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday announced that he will not ask for votes in the 2015 Assembly elections if his Governmen

While being confident of a good samba crop this year, the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association (CDFA) is pushing for a permanent solution to the perennial problem of the north east monsoon rain water running off into the sea.

While the bounty from south west monsoon is controlled by Karnataka as the major Cauvery catchment area is located in that State, north east monsoon benefits Tamil Nadu directly.

The recent massive blackouts in India caused many observers of India’s emergence as an economic powerhouse to wonder whether the country’s economic growth can be sustained with a power sector subje

As per the compensation formula approved by the CIL board, the company will pay a penalty of 1.5% for coal supply levels between 80% and 65% to power firms. Supplies between 65% and 60% will attract a penalty of 5%, 60% and 55% would attract 10% penalty; 55-50% will have 20% penalty and below 50% supplies will attract 40% penalty.

The new rates are higher than 0.01% penalty approved by CIL board earlier for entering into FSA with power projects getting commissioned upto December 31, 2011. However, the amount of compensation likely to be paid by CIL would remain on the lower side as expected levels of coal shortfall would only attract the lower band of the penalty.

Ranchi, Aug.

“By putting off a cost reflective tariff and extending subsidies, we may seem to help the consumer, but what we are actually doing is bleeding the State electricity boards and eventually burdening the consumer with surcharge after the losses become untenable,” said an official of the power department explaining why reforms in the power sector must begin with a realistic power tariff, curtailing losses and replacing short-term sops with long-term schemes.

Dissecting the causes for the grid collapse that left the city powerless on Monday and Tuesday, officials of the power distribution companies as well as the government’s power department were unanimous that the State electricity boards have been pushed to withdraw spending on system up-gradation because of their poor financial condition.

Monday’s grid collapse took place barely one-and-a-half months after the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), in a scathing order, had directed states, especially from the northern grid, to strictly follow the grid code and discipline to avoid overdrawal of power.

Further, CERC, currently in the process of issuing another order against overdrawal of power, is exploring an option of opening radial lines to curb such instances. CERC chairman Pramod Deo said: “CERC is currently seized of the issue of overdrawal of power by states.”

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission on Thursday announced power tariff revision for all categories of consumers to permit the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to mop up an additional annual income of Rs.1,676.84 crore.

The revised rates will come into effect from July 1. The overall average increase in tariff is 30.02 per cent from the existing level. For domestic power consumers, the new tariffs are: Rs.1.50 per unit up to 40 units a month, Rs.1.90 per unit from 41 to 80 units, Rs.2.20 per unit from 81 to 120 units, Rs.2.40 per unit from 121 to 150 units, Rs.3.10 per unit from 151 to 200 units, Rs.3.50 per unit from 201 to 300 units and Rs.4.60 per unit from 301 to 500 units per month.

GUWAHATI, July 26 – The overall power situation in the State saw a slight improvement on Wednesday with the shortfall during the peak load hours reduced by around 100 MW compared to Tuesday, source

The high-powered committee of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to urge the State Electricity Regulatory Commission to allow realisation of higher power tariff from domestic consumers, who consume more than 150 units a month.

The committee has also recommended imposing a 30 per cent power cut on industrial and commercial consumers. The order of the regulatory commission in an earlier recommendation for tariff hike is likely to come out soon. The commission is mulling a 30 per cent hike along with fixed charge from all consumers to reduce KSEB’s revenue deficit.