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India: Solar power pushes lights up & create options for rural women
In her village of Komalia, the fog swirls so thick at 7 a.m. that Akansha Singh can see no more than 15 meters ahead. But the 20-year-old is already cycling to her workplace, nine kilometers away. Halfway there she stops for two hours at a computer training centre, where she’s learning internet skills. Then she’s […]
As 23% of India’s population is still thirsting for electricity, US foundation calls it a private business opportunity
At a time when the Government of India (GoI) has claimed that 99.4% of the country’s villages have been electrified, but the GoI’s powerful thinktank electrification, Niti Aayog, has pointed out that there are 304 million people who still lack access to electricity in its draft National Energy Policy (NEP), released in mid-2017, top US […]
The push for solar power lights up options for India’s rural women
In her village of Komalia, the fog swirls so thick at 7 a.m. that Akansha Singh can see no more than 15 meters ahead. But the 20-year-old is already cycling to her workplace, 9 kilometers away. Halfway there she stops for two hours at a computer training center, where she is learning internet skills. Then […]
Solar power push lights up options for India’s rural women
KAMLAPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – In her village of Komalia, the fog swirls so thick at 7 a.m. that Akansha Singh can see no more than 15 meters ahead. But the 20-year-old is already cycling to her workplace, nine kilometers away. Halfway there she stops for two hours at a computer training center, where she’s […]
Indian-American Rockefeller Foundation prez to visit India
Cambridge (US), Feb 11 (PTI) Rajiv J Shah, the Indian- American president of the Rockefeller Foundation, will visit India from tomorrow as part of the US-based philanthropic organisation’s efforts to help the government electrify villages across the country. The Rockefeller Foundation is one of America’s largest and most influential philanthropies which commits USD 200 million […]
Global Energy Transition: Here’s Why It’s India’s Opportunity To Leapfrog
The government has asked NITI to draw up a plan for India to have only EV sales by 2030. Baker Institute’s Center for Energy at Rice University recently organised a global energy transitions summit, a forum for key market players and decision-makers to gain insight into the future of the energy industry. Various speakers with […]
Opinion: We need to build the ‘power grid of the future’ today. Here’s how.
A view of the 8.5 megawatt solar field at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Villagein, Rwanda. Photo by: USAID / Power Africa / CC BY-NC While technological innovation has revolutionized communications, transportation, health, and education, more than 1 billion people around the world still lack access to reliable electricity — whether to light up a room, or […]
The viability of rural energy access programs – contrasting private and public values
The lack of access is a result of low paying capacities on the consumer end, and uncertain financially viability of catering to areas with low and fluctuating demands and dispersed populations on the supplier side. In 2017, India still has a significant energy access problem. While official estimates indicate India is over 97% electrified, over […]
Solar Mini-Grids – a Saviour for Flood-Ravaged Bihar
Ashish Mishra recalled how a renewable energy-based mini-grid proved to be boon while managing relief and rescue operations last month, when the devastating floods in northern Bihar were at their peak. When there was no power supply from the grid, uninterrupted power supply from the mini-grid of Tara Urja helped us to operate smoothly to […]
Green mini-grids support disaster relief during Bihar floods
Decentralised solar mini-grids ensured that relief and rescue operations were not hampered during the Bihar floods, in addition to providing a regular and reliable source of electricity to power-starved villages Ashish Mishra recalled how a renewable energy-based mini-grid proved to be boon while managing relief and rescue operations last month when the devastating floods in […]
How Off-Grid Renewable Energy Came To The Rescue In India’s Flood Zones
People stand on the roof of a submerged house as they wait to be rescued in Patna, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. (Photo credit Getty Images) Recently, deadly floods in India and South Asia and powerful storms in United States knocked out power to millions. But when people’s lives are thrown into chaos […]
India can light the way
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump last week was a display of what the two leaders called “true friendship“ reaffirming India-US relations. Against the backdrop of recent tensions and strong differences in position, not least on climate change, the visit demonstrated Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic skills and his stature as a […]
How India can rally the world around a renewable energy revolution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump last week was a display of what the two leaders called “true friendship” reaffirming India-US relations. Against the backdrop of recent tensions and strong differences in position, not least on climate change, the visit demonstrated Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic skills and his stature as a […]
Multi-billion dollar Africa-India partnership aims to eradicate energy poverty
* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. The area most ripe for immediate collaboration is solar irrigation, which is already scaling rapidly in India Pieces are falling into place for an important collaboration between India and Africa to end energy poverty. The stakes are […]
Rockefeller Foundation to boost Uganda’s electricity access
Rockefeller Foundation President, Dr. Rajiv Shah (2nd L) and his delegation with President Yoweri Museveni (in a white shirt) at State House, Entebbe on May 23. The Foundation plans to replicate the Smart Power India initiative in Africa starting with Uganda and Kenya The Rockefeller Foundation plans to create a Smart Power Africa initiative on […]
Minigrids can power rural economic activity, says Smart Power’s Mukherji
Mini grids can spur economic activity in rural areas and accelerate the process of expanding mobile phone network across the country due to their large capacities and the ability to connect to the national grid, according to Smart Power India. A mini grid, as defined by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, is an […]
Rockefeller Foundation’s mini-grids operational in 106 villages in India
US-based Rockefeller Foundation’s (RF) subsidiary Smart Power India today said its mini-grids are now operational in as many as 106 villages in India. The grids are operational across three states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. In the long-term, Mukherji said these grids have the ability to integrate with the discoms’ grids and would help […]
RF’s mini-grids operational in 106 villages
Working with govt to support mini-grid sector: Rockefeller New Delhi, Dec 25 (PTI) The Rockefeller Foundation, which has launched an initiative to use renewable power-based mini grids to light up villages, today said it is working with the government to develop central and state policies that support growth of the mini-grid sector in India. Through […]
RF’s mini-grids operational in 106 villages
New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) US-based Rockefeller Foundations (RF) subsidiary Smart Power India today said its mini-grids are now operational in as many as 106 villages in India. Smart Power India is setting up these mini-grids under the Foundations Smart Power for Rural Development programme. “The mini-grids are now operational in 106 villages in India. […]
RF’s mini-grids operational in 106 villages
US-based Rockefeller Foundation’s (RF) subsidiary Smart Power India today said its mini-grids are now operational in as many as 106 villages in India. Smart Power India is setting up these mini-grids under the Foundation’s Smart Power for Rural Development programme. “The mini-grids are now operational in 106 villages in India. We are already in the […]