Five major exhibitions — ‘Buildings India’, ‘Solar India’, ‘Transport India’, ‘Smart Cities India’, and ‘Water India’ — will be held at the International Smart Cities expo here in which 40 countries will participate, it was announced. “One Mega Event: Smart Cities Expo 2017″, organised by Exhibitions India Group and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), will be held from May 10-12 at Pragati Maidan.

Publication: BGR

Electric cars are coming fast — and that’s not just the opinion of carmakers anymore. Total SA, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is now saying EVs may constitute almost a third of new-car sales by the end of the next decade. The surge in battery powered vehicles will cause demand for oil-based fuels to peak in the 2030s, Total Chief Energy Economist Joel Couse said at Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s conference in New York on Tuesday. EVs will make up 15 percent to 30 percent of new vehicles by 2030, after which fuel “demand will flatten out,” Couse said. “Maybe even decline.”

Publication: Bloomberg Quint

India’s solar power capacity addition would remain strong in a range between 7,000 Megawatt (Mw) and 7,500 Mw on the back of a huge portfolio of projects awarded recently, research and ratings agency ICRA has said. “While currently there is a temporary lull in the announcement of fresh bids, the magnitude of solar project awards in the past 12-18 months has been quite significant. The backlog against these awards itself would support a solar capacity addition of about 7-7.5 Gigawatt in grid connected utility segment in 2017-18,” ICRA said.

Publication: ET Energy World

With India’s wind power tariffs following the solar route and falling to a record low, state-run Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has been a catalyst for expanding the country’s green economy. Ashvini Kumar, managing director of SECI, believes that sub Rs3 per unit tariff for solar will become the new normal.

Publication: Live Mint

India’s race to the bottom for solar power prices has resulted in some unintended consequences. These range from some electricity distribution companies (discoms) wavering on signing power purchase agreements for projects awarded at higher tariffs to postponement of some tenders, according to consulting firm Bridge to India.

Publication: Live Mint

Another auction, another record. Tariffs in the Indian renewables sector are in free fall and the appetite of private developers to secure large, grid-connected solar and wind power projects by offering rock bottom unit prices shows no signs of slackening. In the latest instance, the India arm of France’s Engie SA won a contract to build a 250 megawatt solar power project in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh for a flat Rs 3.15 per kilowatt-hour last week through competitive reverse bidding. Energy minister Piyush Goyal announced this on Twitter on April 11.

Publication: Scroll.in

According to credit-rating body ICRA, the growth of the renewable energy (RE) sector was driven by the large capacity additions in the wind and solar power segments. The RE sector in FY2017 reported a record capacity addition of over 11 GW, an increase of around 60 percent over 7.1 GW reported in FY2016, as per the provisional figures by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Publication: DNA

Tapping the push given to electric vehicles by the Indian Government, Jaipur-based lighting solutions company Autolite India has diversified into the manufacture of e-rickshaws from early this month. Powered by lead acid batteries, the e-rickshaws are being marketed in three states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh through the company’s distribution network of 7 dealers.

Publication: ET Auto

In an Elon Musk-like move, the Narendra Modi-led government plans switch introduce a programme meant to switch two- and three-wheelers and buses to battery power by 2030. The plan relies upon keeping off subsidies and depending on a battery leasing strategy. The scheme is likely to be rolled out in a couple of months and offers limited tax breaks for auto companies, The Economic Times reported Tuesday.

Publication: Money Control

The Government of India is reportedly planning to lease electric vehicles and promote the use of low-emission hybrid and completely electric vehicles in India. With rising pollution levels particularly in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, the government is reportedly planning a shift to electric vehicles from the conventional petrol and diesel-powered cars. The plan is apparently in nascent stages, although talks are under way.

Publication: Digit

In a sign of growing overseas investor interest in the Indian clean energy space, UK Green Investment Bank Plc. (GIB) plans to become an anchor investor in the Indian operations of UK-based Lightsource Renewable Energy. This comes in the backdrop of a Macquarie-led consortium agreed to acquire GIB from the UK government for £2.3 billion last week. Lightsource Renewable Energy is among the largest global solar power project developers and announced its plans to develop 1,000 megawatt (MW) capacity in India.

Publication: Live Mint