India

All thermal power projects and transmission systems will be awarded on competitive tariff bidding and trading in renewable energy certificate by 2011. This was announced by India's power sector regulator, according to the India Times.

NTPC has added a 500 MW coal fired unit at Korba in Chhattisgarh.

India gave environmental clearance for a nuclear power plant to be built in collaboration with French firm Areva. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said the go-ahead for the Jaitapur plant in Maharashtra state, which will use nuclear reactors supplied by Areva, was granted with 35 conditions and safeguards.

ADB will inject up to $40 million in two new private equity funds that supports clean energy development.

India’s ONGC will invest US$109.4 million on research and development of non-conventional energy sources. According to the Business Standard, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation chairman and managing director R. S. Sharma stated that India has only 0.5 per cent of the world's hydrocarbon reserves and will find it difficult to meet its growing energy demand without utilising alternative and renewable sources.

Bangladesh will lease two gas-fired power plants from UK firm, Agbeko.

An anticipated rise in sea level is likely to affect the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalapakkam.  It may also affect a plant under construction in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, India.

The Sri Lankan government is eyeing a High Capacity Power Transmission Link in a joint venture with India.

Chhattisgarh will get 50 per cent power from the NTPC's upcoming 4,000 MW coal-fired power plant in the Raigarh district.

AES Corporation will develop a 150MW wind project worth US$375 million in Pakistan’s Gharo Corridor.

A joint venture involving ADB will develop and operate 500 megawatts of renewable energy projects in India in the next three years. The joint venture agreement was signed by the Asian Development Bank with India’s National Thermal Power Corporation and Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power Company. "The new joint venture company will help India achieve its goal of reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels, will cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve its energy security," said Michael Barrow, Director in ADB's Private Sector Operations Department,  who signed the agreement in New Delhi. "We hope this company will also provide an example to other foreign investors looking at India's renewable energy sector." Under its National Action Plan on Climate Change, the Indian government has set a target of generating 15 per cent of its total power from renewable sources by 2020. Currently, renewable energy accounts for 10 per cent of total power capacity in India while 65 per cent comes from thermal power plants—mostly coal-fired—which generate the majority of the country's carbon emissions. The remainder of India's power comes from hydropower and nuclear power. "India now has the capacity to generate just over 11,000 megawatts of wind power, but, with the right investment, that could increase to almost 48,000 megawatts. At the same time, small hydropower has the potential to generate about 15,000 megawatts of power and, what's more, is often the best way of providing electricity to low-income households in remote areas," said Don Purka, Senior Investment Specialist with ADB's PSOD. NTPC, the largest power generating company in India with a 33 per cent market share, is majority owned by the Government of India but operates on a commercial basis as an independent company. It currently has a generating capacity of 32,694 megawatts but is working to increase that to 75,000 megawatts by 2017. Under the joint venture agreement, ADB will invest up to US$40 million for a 25 per cent stake in the company. The move is part of ADB's goal of investing $2 billion a year in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Asia and the Pacific to help put the region on a sustainable deve opment path. NTPC will have a 50 per cent holding in the company with Kyushu Electric Power owning the remaining 25 per cent.

Electro Zavod has set up a new integrated manufacturing facility in West Bengal.

NVVN will award contracts under Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission Phase-I to those who would provide maximum discount on CERC tariff. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam or NVVN plans to sign power purchase agreement with selected parties by the end of January.

NTPC will hold on to its projects in Uttarakhand despite a series of setback.

NTPC has geared itself to become a 75000 MW company by 2017 and the company has core competency to achieve this feat. By their so-called “XI Plan period” the company aims to put about 13000 MW capacity on stream contributing to the Govt. of India’s plans of adding 68000 MW by that time. This was stated by Shri Arup Roy Choudhury, Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC.

IBM has signed a research collaboration agreement with IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur to develop open system designs for smarter power grids.