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CPWD Tenders 2.3 MW of Solar Projects in Andhra Pradesh


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					</table><p>The second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) will <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/pm-kusum-2-0-to-have-10-gw-agrivoltaics-component-pralhad-joshi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> a 10 GW agrivoltaics component to promote the colocation of solar panels with crops. According to Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, the Union Government is preparing PM-KUSUM 2.0, with a focus on enabling farmers to generate electricity while continuing to cultivate agriculture on the same land.</p>
<p>The Karnataka High Court <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/karnataka-high-court-stays-2-gw-sharavathy-pumped-storage-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> an interim order stopping activities related to the construction of the 2 GW Sharavathy pumped storage project (PSP) in Karnataka. The High Court noted that the Sharavathy Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary was designated to preserve the environment of the endangered lion-tailed macaque, and any disturbance to its habitat would undermine the main purpose of declaring it a sanctuary.</p>
<p>Maharashtra <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/maharashtra-targets-75-clean-energy-by-2047-in-latest-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> a target of achieving 75% clean energy by 2047, with the 2026–27 budget outlining measures across solar deployment, rooftop solar subsidies, and pumped hydro development. The government also underscored the Maharashtra Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Policy 2025–2035, which aims to increase the share of green energy in the state’s electricity system to 50% by 2029 and 65% by 2035.</p>
<p>The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/punjab-regulator-rejects-utilitys-move-to-procure-2200-mw-solar-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> Punjab State Power Corporation’s plea to procure power from 2,200 MW of interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected solar projects, as their landed cost would exceed the tariff ceiling. The Commission said the weighted landed cost of the proposed solar power at the state periphery would be about ₹3.03 (~$0.0329)/kWh.</p>
<p>The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-proposes-amending-renewable-purchase-obligation-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> draft amendments to its Renewable Purchase Obligation Regulations, 2023, proposing changes to align the state’s framework with recent central government notifications under the Energy Conservation Act. Stakeholders can submit their comments and suggestions by March 23, 2026.</p>
<p>The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/tnerc-adopts-tariff-for-two-15-mw-solar-plus-45-mwh-battery-storage-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> a tariff of ₹4.47 (~$0.048)/kWh for two 15 MW solar projects integrated with 45 MWh battery energy storage systems in the Karur and Thiruvarur districts. The projects will be implemented under a 25-year power purchase agreement. For the Karur project, the Commission allowed Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation to issue a letter of award to Evolve Green Energies, the L1 bidder.</p>
<p>The Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/telangana-sets-%E2%82%B90-13-kwh-additional-surcharge-for-open-access-consumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> an additional surcharge of ₹0.13 (~$0.0014)/kWh on applicable open access consumers for the first half of the financial year (FY) 2026-27, covering the period from April 1, 2026, to September 30, 2026. The approved surcharge represents a change from the previous six-month period.</p>
<p>Waaree Renewable Technologies (WRTL), the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) arm of the Waaree Group, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/waaree-secures-epc-order-for-300-mw-solar-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> an EPC contract to execute a 300 MW ground-mounted solar project for an unnamed Indian entity. WRTL will complete the solar project during FY 2028. The company has executed 10,000 solar EPC contracts, totaling 3.95 GW in operational capacity.</p>
<p>Punjab State Power Corporation <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/punjab-invites-bids-for-500-mw-1000-mwh-standalone-battery-storage-systems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to set up 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage systems in Mohali and Jalandhar. The last date to submit bids is April 10, 2026. Bids will be opened on April 16. Bidders must submit ₹471,000 (~$5,118)/MW as an earnest money deposit. Bidders must also furnish a performance bank guarantee of ₹1.17 million (~$12,713)/MW. The minimum bid size should be 100 MWh, i.e., 50 MW x 2 hours.</p>
<p>The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/seci-invites-bids-for-supply-of-power-from-1-gw-rtc-tm-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to supply 1 GW of round-the-clock thermal mimic power from ISTS-connected renewable energy projects for 25 years. The last date to submit bids is May 4, 2026. Bids will open on May 7. The scope of work covers the setup of renewable energy projects with energy storage systems, primarily to supply power to SECI.</p>
<p>Gujarat-based GREW Solar <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/grew-solar-bags-solar-module-supply-order-worth-%E2%82%B95-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured</a> a repeat order worth approximately ₹5 billion from a domestic independent power producer to supply M10R TOPCon solar modules. These high-efficiency modules will be deployed across several upcoming utility-scale solar projects in India. The company operates a 6.5 GW solar module manufacturing plant in Dudu, Rajasthan, with plans to scale to 11 GW, and is setting up an 8 GW solar cell and ingot-wafer facility in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh.</p>
<p>West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/west-bengal-invites-bids-for-om-of-8-mw-rooftop-solar-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids for the operation and maintenance of 8.4 MW of rooftop solar projects on buildings owned by WBSEDCL/West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company for five years. The deadline to submit bids is March 30, 2026. Bids will be opened on April 2.</p>
<p>Mumbai-based Privi Speciality Chemicals will <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/privi-speciality-chemicals-to-procure-power-from-16-6-mw-solar-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">procure</a> power from a 16.60 MW solar project as a captive user by acquiring a 26% equity stake in Radiance MH Eleven, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Radiance Renewables, which is developing the project in Maharashtra. The company entered into a power purchase agreement and a share subscription and shareholders’ agreement with the SPV by investing ₹17.75 million (~$193,143), and subscribing to 47,103 equity shares at ₹377 (~$4.10)/share, including a face value of ₹10 (~$0.11) and a premium of ₹367 (~$3.99)/share.</p>
<p>Mufin Green Finance, a non-banking financial company focused on financing sustainable assets, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mufin-green-finance-raises-%E2%82%B93-24-billion-via-share-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> ₹3.24 billion (~$35.22 million) through the preferential allotment of equity shares and warrants. Mufin Green allotted 24,930,765 fully paid-up equity shares with a face value of ₹1 (~$0.011) each, at a premium of ₹97 (~$1.05) per share, for a total issue price of ₹98 (~$1.07) per share.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: PM KUSUM 2.0 to Include 10 GW Agrivoltaics


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					</table><p>The <a href="https://judiciary.karnataka.gov.in/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karnataka High Court</a> has issued an interim order stopping activities related to the construction of the 2 GW Sharavathy pumped storage project (PSP) in Karnataka.</p>
<p>The High Court noted that the Sharavathy Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary was designated to preserve the environment of the endangered lion-tailed macaque, and any disturbance to its habitat would undermine the main purpose of declaring it a sanctuary.</p>
<p>It also highlighted that the sanctuary is situated in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, which could face bigger ecological impacts from the construction of the PSP.</p>
<p>As of 2024, the number of lion-tailed macaques in the region was <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/after-gib-lion-tailed-macaque-at-the-center-of-greens-vs-renewables-clash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> to be around 750. The total population in the world is about 4,000. Any fragmentation of their habitat could reduce their numbers.</p>
<p>However, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath, along with Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, contended that the current petition is premature, as the National Wildlife Board has not yet granted approval for the project.</p>
<p>The next hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2026.</p>
<p>The Karnataka Power Corporation has proposed to develop a 2 GW (8 x 250 MW) PSP  in Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts of Karnataka. The project entails an upper (Talakale) and a lower (Gerusoppa) reservoir, both of which already exist, an underground powerhouse, eight turbines, and four tunnels ranging from 2.2 km to 3.5 km in length.</p>
<p>The project proposes pumping water up from the lower reservoir during low-demand hours and generating power by discharging the water from the upper reservoir and running it through turbines during peak hours.</p>
<p>The project requires 153 hectares of land, including forest land. It will also entail the development of roads and power lines.</p>
<p>The order from the Karnataka High Court comes against the backdrop of the Karnataka government approving the framework for the wildlife mitigation plan, while the National Board of Wildlife was still examining the project&#8217;s impact on the habitat.</p>
<p>The Court issued the interim order after admitting a public interest litigation.</p>
<p>The petitioner argued that establishing the project would be debilitating to the ecosystem and destructive to wildlife.</p>
<p>The petitioner stated that the project is also impermissible under Section 29 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits any person from destroying, exploiting, or removing wildlife, including forest products from a sanctuary, or damaging or diverting the habitat of any wild animal without permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden.</p>
<p>The petitioner noted that Section 29 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, also forbids permission for such activities unless the state government, in consultation with the National Board for Wildlife, contends that the removal of wildlife or changes in the water flow into or outside the sanctuary are necessary for the improvement and better management of wildlife.</p>
<p>In 2025, the Central Electricity Authority had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cea-approves-detailed-project-reports-for-7-5-gw-pumped-storage-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greenlit</a> detailed project reports for six PSPs, including the 2 GW Sharavathy project.</p>


Karnataka High Court Stays 2 GW Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project


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					</table><p>A ‘green versus green’ battle is brewing in Karnataka, with environmentalists clashing with the government over a pumped hydro storage project proposed for the Sharavathy river system in the Western Ghats.</p>
<p>The state government is yet to secure forest and wildlife clearance but has already begun the process of acquiring land for the ₹80 billion (~$918 million) project, drawing the ire of environmentalists who fear large-scale construction could harm flora and fauna in this biodiversity hotspot.</p>
<p>The proposed project area is home to the Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM), a critically endangered primate endemic to the Sharavathy Valley.</p>
<p>The conflict has arisen when pumped storage projects are seen as an environment-friendly technology to overcome the intermittency of renewable energy sources and help India meet its clean energy targets.</p>
<p>A similar biodiversity conservation versus renewables <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/gib-renewable-energy-save-both" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clash</a> in the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) habitat in Rajasthan had brought solar and wind power project development to its knees in Rajasthan in 2021.</p>
<p>The Karnataka Power Corporation, which is executing the project, appears firm on its plan but has run into protests, with the possibility of activists taking the issue to court.</p>
<p>The 2,000 MW (8 X 250 MW) Sharavathy pumped storage project in Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts entails an upper (Talakale) and lower (Gerusoppa) reservoir, both of which already exist, an underground powerhouse, eight turbines, and four tunnels ranging from 2.2 km to 3.5 km.</p>
<p>The project proposes pumping water up from the lower reservoir during low-demand hours and generating power by discharging the water from the upper reservoir and running it through turbines during peak hours.</p>
<p>The project requires 153 hectares of land, including forest land. Roads and power lines will also have to be constructed.</p>
<p>The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) approved the Detailed Project Report in 2024. The project awaits a nod from the National Board of Wildlife and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Even while these approvals are pending, preparations for land acquisition have begun.</p>
<p>The project area and around are rich in flora and fauna. About 70 acres of the forest land proposed to be acquired falls within the core area of the habitat of the LTM, which is on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. The region is also home to the Great Hornbill and other rare wildlife species.</p>
<p><strong>What is Pumped Storage?</strong></p>
<p>Pumped storage acts like a giant battery and involves two water reservoirs at different levels. Power is generated when water moves from the upper reservoir to the lower one, passing through a turbine. These projects can store and release power on demand.</p>
<p>With energy storage becoming increasingly important in the context of growing integration of renewables into India’s electricity grid, the government has been aggressively pushing pumped storage projects as one of the options. Integrating wind and solar energy with pumped storage is considered an economically viable solution to ensure power supply on demand using base load and peak load capabilities.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://powermin.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Power</a> considers pumped storage projects “clean, MW scale, domestically available, time tested and internationally accepted.” They have a long service life of up to 50 years, much more than any other energy storage technology currently available. The bonus is the low cost of delivered energy over the life of the projects.</p>
<p>The Ministry said in its guidelines on pumped storage projects <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/guidelines-developing-pumped-storage-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> in 2023 that these projects are non-polluting, more environmentally friendly, and leave no residual environmental impacts.</p>
<p>The CEA estimates on-river pumped storage potential in India at 103 GW.</p>
<p><strong>LTM Numbers Threatened  </strong></p>
<p>Environmental activists scoff at these claims and point to the reports of three deputy conservators of forests in the project-affected districts, listing the negative impacts the project could have on flora and fauna, especially the LTM (<em>Macaca Silenus</em>).</p>
<p>As of 2024, the LTM number in the region was estimated to be around 750. The total population in the world is about 4,000. Any fragmentation of their habitat could bring their numbers down.</p>
<p>“The state government has disregarded their reports and is rushing through,” said Ananth Hegde Ashisara, a former chairman of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board. “About 200,000 trees will be felled, and 1,000 acres of forest land will be destroyed. It is not only flora and fauna that will be impacted but also people’s lives.”</p>
<p>In the pre-feasibility report, the National Institute of Advanced Studies pointed out that considering the project’s proximity to the Sharavathy Wildlife Sanctuary, the layout has been prepared to keep most components completely underground. The dams exist, the powerhouse complex and the water-conducting systems are underground. Only the tunnel/audit entrance portal, roads, and muck disposal/quarry sites are exposed to the ground surface.</p>
<p>Activists, however, argue that construction will involve blasting, drilling, and laying roads, all of which risk landslides and wildlife habitat fragmentation. They say tree canopies, which are arboreal (living on trees), are key to the movement of the LTM.</p>
<p>In the GIB case, the Supreme Court struck a fine balance between the twin imperatives of biodiversity protection and renewables-led energy transition.</p>
<p>It observed, “While balancing two equally crucial goals, the conservation of the GIB on the one hand, with the conservation of the environment as a whole on the other hand, it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach which does not sacrifice either of the two goals at the altar of the other. The delicate balance between the two aims must not be disturbed. Rather, care must be taken by all actors, including the state and the courts, to ensure that both goals are met without compromising on either.”</p>
<p>Can such a middle ground still be found if the project continues to be embroiled in conflict? Can wildlife and renewables co-exist without one disturbing the other?</p>


After GIB, Lion Tailed Macaque at the Center of Greens vs. Renewables Clash

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