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Pakistan renegotiating power deals to cut costs, minister states
Pakistan is renegotiating agreements with independent power producers to rein in unsustainable electricity tariffs, the head of the power ministry said, as homes and organizations buckle under skyrocketing energy costs. Increasing power tariffs have stirred social unrest and shuttered industries in the $350 billion economy, which has contracted twice in the last few years as inflation hit record highs. The existing rate structure of power in this nation is not sustainable, Awais Leghari, a federal minister heading Pakistan's Power Department, told Reuters in an interview on Friday. He said conversations were under way between power producers and the government due to the fact that there is a clear understanding on both sides that the status quo can't be kept. Leghari stressed that all stakeholders would need to give. in to a particular point - however without jeopardizing entirely. on service sustainability - and this would need to be done as. soon as possible. Confronted with persistent scarcities a years earlier, Pakistan authorized. lots of private projects by independent power producers. ( IPPs), financed mainly by foreign lenders. The incentivised. offers consisted of high ensured returns and dedications to even. pay for unused power. However, a continual economic crisis has actually slashed power. intake, leaving the country with excess capability that it. needs to spend for. Short of funds, the federal government has actually constructed those repaired costs. and capacity payments into consumer expenses, triggering protests by. domestic users and industrial associations. 4 sources in the power sector told Reuters modifications to. contracts demanded consisted of slashing guaranteed returns, topping. dollar rates and moving far from spending for unused power. The. sources requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak. to the media. On Saturday, local media outlet Company Recorder said in a. report mentioning sources that 24 conditions have actually been proposed for. the transition of capacity based design to take-and-pay design. However, Leghari told Reuters that no brand-new draft arrangements. or particular needs had been formally sent to power companies. and stated the federal government would not force them to sign brand-new watered. down agreements. We would sit and speak with them in a civil and expert. way, he stated, including that the federal government has always. maintained legal obligations to investors, both foreign. and regional. He said contract revisions would be by mutual. authorization Energy sector viability was the focus of a crucial staff. level pact in May with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for. a $7 billion bailout. The IMF's staff report worried the requirement. to review power deals. Pakistan has currently initiated talks on reprofiling power. sector debt owed to China as well as negotiations on structural. reforms, however progress has actually been slow. Pakistan has actually likewise dedicated. to stop power sector subsidies. Leghari said present rates were not budget-friendly for domestic. or business customers and this was harming development since. power costs were no longer regionally competitive, putting. important exports at a disadvantage. He said the objective was to bring tariffs down to 9 U.S. cents. per system for industrial users from about 28 cents currently.
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RPT-World Bank President in Tuvalu states youth skills key to environment change plan
World Bank President Ajay Banga stated on Friday that youths in the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu require training to help them move and adjust to environment modification as he checked out the frontline of the fight against rising sea levels. On the very first go to by a World Bank chief to Tuvalu - where 11,00 people reside on 26 square km (10 square miles) of land stretched throughout 9 atolls - the impact of the modifications was clear, he said, as the small country fortified its ports and reclaimed seaside land. Not long after handling the top task in June in 2015, Banga broadened the global loan provider's remit for the first time in 80 years to include climate change, under the banner of reducing poverty in a liveable planet. Scientists say by 2050, half of Tuvalu's main town of Funafuti will be flooded by tides. An environment migration offer struck with Australia last year offers its population a path to move when its atolls end up being uninhabitable. Banga spoke to youths who said they told him leaving their home was the Fallback. The World Bank's vision for a liveable planet was wider than physical facilities, he stated in an interview with Reuters. It is likewise about human facilities, he stated. Why must they not have education and health care when they are growing up? It's not simply a question of survival. It's. a question of lifestyle. Banga stated he wanted the World Bank to move faster, focus on. impact, share its understanding with the Pacific islands and develop. tasks for young people. In Tuvalu, this could imply investing in skills institutes to. provide youths who deal with moving to another nation training. as a nurse or plumber, he stated. Nivaga Talua, vice president of the Tuvalu National Youth. Council, said he talked about with Banga the skills a climate. migrant might need. That skill would have been preserved in Tuvalu and first. utilized for the advantage of our individuals, he said. Because taking on the function simply over a year ago, Banga has. checked out every region where the World Bank operates. The Pacific. Islands nation of Tuvalu, population 11,000, is the last stop. The World Bank said in December it will release 45% of its. annual funding to climate modification adjustment and mitigation by. 2025. In the Pacific Islands, that objective has currently been. reached, he said. Banga will use the platform of the United Nations General. Assembly in New York this month to highlight reforms to the. World Bank and advise abundant nations to replenish funds to its. International Development Association (IDA), which supports the. poorest countries, consisting of numerous in the Pacific Islands. Tuvalu's Deputy Prime Minister, Panapasi Nelesoni, said on. Friday that water inundation from water level increase makes it harder. to grow vegetables for food, compounding illness. The IDA fund is really crucial due to the fact that it is grants provided. to us. Right now it is difficult for us to obtain cash and we. like to see an extension of that assistance from rich. nations, given the problem we have with environment modification, he. said. REMAIN OR GO? Grace Malie, 25, one of the young people who spoke to. Banga, stated she discovered environment change at the age of 8. as her moms and dads described why the area for play areas was. shrinking. She desires support for Tuvalu to adapt for as long as it can. I love my country, I love my home and I enjoy doing what I do. every day in Tuvalu and I wish to stay, she said. In the streets of Funafuti, IT employee Maani Maani, 32, stated. his generation dealt with a tough decision. While somebody with. his abilities can get visas to work in locations like Australia, he. anxious about the older individuals left behind. Our mainland is getting thinner and thinner. Crops can't. grow well. I think God is not going to conserve us this time, he. said.
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EU Grants Over $20M for Pilot Wave Energy Farm Offshore Portugal
The Ondas de Peniche (ONDEP) project has been awarded $21 million (€19 million) from the EU’s Horizon Europe funding program to deploy a 2 MW wave energy array featuring four WaveRoller wave energy converters.The ONDEP project will start in October 2024 and last for five and a half years, encompassing the full spectrum of project activities - from design and manufacturing to testing, deployment, and operation.Set in the surfing hub of Peniche, Portugal, the pilot wave farm will be installed and connected to the grid and will continue generating electricity for an additional eight years after the project’s official end.“This project builds on two decades of hard work developing WaveRoller into a commercial asset. We’re excited to work on this collaboration together with the other partners to create a new industry in Europe,” said Christoper Ridgewell, CEO of AW-Energy, the lead technology provider for ONDEP.ONDEP’s mission over the next five and a half years is to address the technical challenges of future large-scale wave farms, ensuring the technology’s reliability and scalability.The project will also aim to establish a comprehensive, end-to-end European supply chain to support the deployment of GW-scale wave energy across Europe and beyond, marking a significant step towards the industrialization of wave energy.“Wave energy is the largest untapped renewable energy resource in the world. The ONDEP project is poised to be among the first pilot wave farms globally, advancing this new industry to an industrial level. It will pave the way towards a zero-carbon future,” added Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe.By 2030, ONDEP plans to unlock the potential for 11 wave energy farms across eight countries on four continents, with a total cumulative capacity of 83 MW.Looking further ahead to 2035, the project aims to demonstrate a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of less than 100€/MWh, paving the way for a sustainable blue economy. This could also lead to the creation of up to 500,000 jobs across Europe, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in renewable energy.Coordinated by Queen’s University Belfast, the project includes 14 partners from across Europe, including leading companies and research institutions. These partners, coming from Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the UK, bring together expertise covering the entire wave energy value chain.
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China's reserve bank stops briefly gold purchases for a fourth month in August
China's reserve bank held back on buying gold for its reserves for a fourth straight month in August, official data revealed on Saturday. China's gold holdings stood at 72.8 million fine troy ounces at the end of last month. The worth of the gold reserves, nevertheless, rose to $182.98 billion compared with $176.64 billion at the end of July. Gold costs have been increasing this year in the middle of bets that U.S. rate cuts impend and due to safe-haven need driven by geopolitical and financial uncertainty, with central banks making robust purchases. Gold costs have risen 21% so far this year and are hovering slightly listed below a record high of $2,531.60 struck on Aug. 20. Prior to the time out in its purchases, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) had purchased gold for 18 successive months. The central bank was the world's largest single purchaser of gold in 2023 and its decision to put its purchasing on hold has assisted silence Chinese financier need in recent months. The PBOC is anticipated to resume purchases eventually regardless of high prices due to political, rather than economical, motivations, such as its desire to be less dependent on the U.S. dollar as a reserve possession, stated Carsten Menke, an analyst at Julius Baer.
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Pope Francis, in resource-rich PNG, prompts that workers be treated relatively
Pope Francis on Saturday called for much better treatment of workers in Papua New Guinea, a country of some 600 islands in the Southwestern Pacific that has actually become a major target of international business for its gas, gold and other reserves. In a speech to political authorities in the nation, which is home to hundreds of tribal groups and more than 800 spoken languages, the 87-year-old Catholic pontiff also made a. wholehearted appeal for an end to a wave of ethnic violence that. has killed lots in recent months. The pope, going to as part of an ambitious 12-day trip to. four countries, said Papua New Guinea's natural deposits are. predestined by God for the entire community. Even if outside specialists and big worldwide companies. should be associated with the harnessing of these resources, it is. just right that the needs of regional people are offered due. consideration when dispersing the earnings and utilizing. employees, in order to enhance their living conditions, said. Francis. The pope said natural resources should be established in a. sustainable way that improves the health and wellbeing of all,. omitting nobody, through ... worldwide cooperation, shared. respect and arrangements helpful to all parties. Arriving for his speech at the APEC Haus, a conference. centre developed for the 2018 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic. Cooperation forum, Francis was welcomed with a dance from a group. of Papua New Guineans wearing traditional outfits featuring. feathered headdresses and beaded skirts. The pope, who utilizes a wheelchair due to knee and neck and back pain,. was rolled past an entry foyer with a curved wood screen. inspired by a typical lakatoi tattoo style. Papua New Guinea consists of some of the biggest recognized gold. deposits and is a significant exporter of gas and oil. The. federal government, led by Prime Minister James Marape given that 2019, has. sought to enhance regional benefits from tasks carried out by. worldwide conglomerates such as Exxon Mobil Corp and. Newcrest Mining. An economic upgrade in May stated that growth in the country. was a modest 2.7% last year. The World Bank has stated it is. suffering a human capital crisis, with nearly half of kids. revealing stunted growth. Home to numerous people, Papua New Guinea has a long. history of ethnic warfare. Violent attacks in 3 remote. towns in July likely eliminated at least 26, according to the. United Nations. Francis on Saturday said it was his particular hope that. tribal violence will pertain to an end. He said he was appealing. to everyone's sense of duty to stop the spiral of. violence and rather resolutely start the course that results in. worthwhile cooperation. He called for a conclusive service to the status of. Bougainville Island, the biggest island in the Solomon Islands. island chain. Currently an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea,. the island voted extremely for independence in 2019. However. years of political deadlock in the PNG parliament have actually stalled. the vote's ratification process. A sprawling country of mountains, jungle and rivers, Papua. New Guinea has a population approximated at anywhere from 9 million. to 17 million. The Vatican approximates there are around 2.5. million Catholics in the nation. Francis landed in PNG on Friday night, after a journey to. Indonesia, and will remain till Monday. He will then go to East. Timor and Singapore before heading back to Rome on Sept. 13. It. is his longest overseas trip yet. Although Francis' speech on Saturday discussed severe. problems, the pope also showed some of his hallmark humour. Noting the number of languages spoken across Papua New Guinea,. he said the diversity of expression greatly captivates me. I envision that this enormous variety is a difficulty to the. Holy Spirit, who creates consistency in the middle of differences! the pope. stated.
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Goldman Sachs anticipates OPEC+ production boosts to begin in December
Goldman Sachs adjusted its expectations for OPEC+ oil production stating it now anticipates 3 months of production boosts starting from December rather of October, the bank said in a note on Friday. OPEC+ has actually accepted delay a planned oil output increase for October and November, the manufacturers group stated on Thursday after crude rates hit their least expensive in 9 months, including it could even more stop briefly or reverse the walkings if required. Nevertheless Goldman Sachs maintained its Brent crude series of $70-85 per barrel and a December 2025 Brent projection at $ 74 per barrel. The financial investment bank expects the effects of a modest reduction in OPEC+ supply in the upcoming months to be reversed by easing results from the present softness in China's need and faster-than-expected healing of Libya's. supply. We still see the risks to our $70-85 range as manipulated to the. downside given high spare capability, and drawback risks to demand. from weak point in China and possible trade tensions, Goldman. Sachs stated. Brent crude futures were down $1.63, or 2.24%, to. $ 71.06 a barrel on Friday, their least expensive level since December. 2021. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell. $ 1.48 on Friday, or 2.14%, to $67.67, their lowest since June. 2023.
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Global stock index, Treasury yields fall after combined US jobs report
MSCI's international equities evaluate fell more than 1% on Friday and U.S. Treasury yields dropped as financiers fretted about the health of the economy after a blended U.S. jobs report sealed expectations for the Federal Reserve to lower rate of interest this month, however developed unpredictability about the size of the cut. The Labor Department reported that U.S. work increased less than expected in August while the unemployed rate dropped in line with expectations to 4.2% from 4.3% in July, suggesting an organized slowdown in the labor market. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 142,000 in August but disappointed the 160,000 growth economists surveyed had anticipated while July numbers were modified down to 89,000 from 114,000. The headline number of 142,000 would normally be considered healthy, but this labor market is held together by duct tape and string, stated Brian Jacobsen, chief economic expert at Annex Wealth Management, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. By Friday afternoon, traders were betting on a 73%. likelihood the Fed would cut rates by 25 basis points this. month versus 60% on Thursday, while bets for a 50 basis point. cut was up to 27% from 40%, CME Group's FedWatch tool revealed. Fed authorities signified they would start rate cuts at their. meeting in two weeks, noting that a labor market cooling could. speed up into something more dire without a policy shift. The. remarks were extensively viewed as endorsing a 25 basis point cut while. leaving the door open to more and possibly bigger relocations should. the task market keep slowing. Could the Fed cut by 50 bps? Yes, but will they? No. They. probably wish to begin with 25 and maintain the option to increase. that to 50 instead of simply leap right into a 50, said Jacobsen. at Annex Wealth Management. Wall Street indexes closed greatly lower. They opened higher. as financiers absorbed the jobs report and then decreased progressively. as the day endured. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 410.34 points,. or 1.01%, to 40,345.41, the S&P 500 lost 94.99 points, or. 1.73%, to 5,408.42 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 436.83. points, or 2.55%, to 16,690.83. MSCI's gauge of stocks around the world fell. 10.79 points, or 1.33%, to 801.88. For the week, the index was. revealing a 3.9% decline, which would be its deepest given that the. week beginning July 29. Previously, Europe's STOXX 600 index shut down 1.1%. Germany's DAX index had actually shut down 1.5% earlier. after data revealed the nation's commercial production fell 2.4%. in July, compared with expert expectations for a 0.3% drop. In the bond market, benchmark 10-year Treasury yields were. lower after the payrolls report but managed to pull back from a. 15-month low hit earlier in the day. The market's actually having problem with this one since it's. really in the middle of what might be utilized as a reason. for either a 25 or 50 basis point rate cut, said Gennadiy. Goldberg, head of U.S. rates method at TD Securities. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell. 1.2 basis points to 3.721%, from 3.733% late on Thursday. The 2-year note yield, which usually moves. in step with interest rate expectations, fell 8.9 basis points. to 3.6627%, from 3.752% late on Thursday. A closely watched part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve. determining the space between yields on two- and 10-year Treasury. notes, viewed as an indication of financial. expectations, was at a favorable 5.8 basis points. In currencies, the dollar index increased in unpredictable trading. with concentrate on the consistent downturn in the labor market recommending. more rate cuts after September. A half-point rate cut at the reserve bank's September. conference stays unlikely, however today's release offered clear. evidence of a sharp degeneration in labor market basics,. and will boost bets on a minimum of one jumbo-sized rate cut in. the coming months, stated Karl Schamotta, primary market strategist. at payments business Corpay in Toronto. The dollar index, which measures the greenback. against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro,. gained 0.14% to 101.18. The euro was down 0.21% at $1.1087. Against the. Japanese yen, the dollar deteriorated 0.76% to 142.35. In energy markets, oil costs sold more than 2% in their. 5th straight day of decreases as concerns around the weak U.S. jobs number surpassed rate support from a hold-up to provide. increases by OPEC+ manufacturers. U.S. crude futures calmed down 2.14% at $67.67 a. barrel, at their least expensive close given that June 2023 while Brent. ended the session at $71.06 per barrel, down 2.24%, for. its least expensive close given that December 2021. In precious metals, gold prices sank from near-record levels. earlier in the day. Spot gold lost 0.81% to $2,495.86 an. ounce. U.S. gold futures fell 1.1% to $2,483.70 an ounce.
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Global stock index, Treasury yields fall after mixed United States jobs report
MSCI's worldwide equities determine fell more than 1% on Friday and U.S. Treasury yields dropped as investors worried about the health of the economy after a combined U.S. tasks report sealed expectations for the Federal Reserve to decrease rates of interest this month, however created unpredictability about the size of the cut. The Labor Department reported that U.S. work increased less than expected in August while the out of work rate dropped in line with expectations to 4.2% from 4.3% in July, suggesting an organized downturn in the labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 142,000 in August, except the 160,000 development economic experts surveyed had actually expected while July numbers were revised down to 89,000 from 114,000. The headline variety of 142,000 would normally be thought about healthy, however this labor market is held together by duct tape and string, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economic expert at Annex Wealth Management, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. By Friday afternoon, traders were banking on a 73%. possibility the Fed would cut rates by 25 basis points this. month versus 60% on Thursday, while bets for a 50 basis point. cut was up to 27% from 40%, CME Group's FedWatch tool revealed. Fed officials indicated they would start rate cuts at their. meeting in two weeks, noting that a labor market cooling could. accelerate into something more dire without a policy shift. The. remarks were extensively seen as endorsing a 25 basis point cut while. leaving the door open to more and possibly larger moves should. the job market keep slowing. Could the Fed cut by 50 bps? Yes, but will they? No. They. probably want to start with 25 and maintain the choice to increase. that to 50 instead of just leap right into a 50, said Jacobsen. at Annex Wealth Management. Wall Street indexes opened higher after the report but kept. gradually decreasing into the late afternoon. At 3:09 p.m. EDT (1909 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial. Typical fell 337.76 points, or 0.83%, to 40,417.99; the. S&P 500 lost 83.64 points, or 1.52%, to 5,419.77; and the. Nasdaq Composite lost 385.55 points, or 2.25%, to. 16,742.11. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell. 9.79 points, or 1.20%, to 802.88. Earlier, Europe's STOXX 600. index shut down 1.1%. Germany's DAX index shut down 1.5% earlier after. data revealed the nation's commercial production fell 2.4% in. July, compared to expert expectations for a 0.3% drop. In the bond market, benchmark 10-year Treasury yields were. lower after the payrolls report however came off of a 15-month low. The marketplace's truly struggling with this one because it's. truly in the middle of what might be used as a validation. for either a 25 or 50 basis point rate cut, stated Gennadiy. Goldberg, head of U.S. rates technique at TD Securities in New. York. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell. 1.9 basis indicate 3.714% from 3.733% late on Thursday, but the. 2-year note yield, which usually moves in action with. rates of interest expectations, fell 8.9 basis indicate 3.6627%. from 3.752% late on Thursday. A closely watched part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve. measuring the gap in between yields on two- and 10-year Treasury. notes, seen as a sign of financial. expectations, was at a favorable 4.9 basis points. In currencies, the dollar index increased in volatile trading. with focus on the constant downturn in the labor market suggesting. more rate cuts after September. A half-point rate cut at the reserve bank's September. conference stays unlikely, however today's release offered clear. evidence of a sharp wear and tear in labor market principles,. and will boost bets on at least one jumbo-sized rate cut in. the coming months, stated Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist. at payments company Corpay in Toronto. The dollar index, which determines the greenback. against a basket of currencies consisting of the yen and the euro,. gained 0.17% to 101.21. The was down 0.24% at $1.1083. But against the Japanese yen, the dollar deteriorated. 0.73% to 142.39. In energy markets, oil prices sold dramatically in their. 5th straight day of declines as demand issues exceeded. delayed supply increases by OPEC+ producers. U.S. crude futures calmed down 2.14% at $67.67 a. barrel, at their most affordable close because June 2023 while Brent. ended the session at $71.06 per barrel, down 2.24%, for. its most affordable close since December 2021. In rare-earth elements, gold prices sank from near-record levels. earlier in the day. Area gold lost 0.96% to $2,492.20 an. ounce. U.S. gold futures fell 1.1% to $2,483.70 an ounce.
Pakistan to press Chinese utilities in Pakistan to change to domestic coal
Pakistan this month will ask Chinese power plants running in the country to move to utilizing coal from Pakistan's Thar area rather than imported coal, the power minister said on Sunday.
Islamabad might also start talks on re-profiling Pakistan's. energy sector financial obligation during the see to Beijing, Awais Leghari,. head of the energy ministry's Power Department, informed .
Leghari will become part of the delegation to discuss structural. reforms to the power sector recommended by the International. Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently settled on a $7 billion. bailout for the greatly indebted South Asian country.
Neighbouring China has set up over $20 billion worth of. energy tasks in Pakistan.
Among the key functions of going along is the conversion of. our imported coal units to the regional coal. That would have a. substantial impact on the expense of energy, of power in the future. So that is among the biggest (items on the) program, Leghari. said in an interview.
Such a transition would benefit the Chinese-owned plants in. Pakistan by lowering pressure on Islamabad's foreign exchange. reserves, he stated, making it simpler to repatriate dividends and. providing a better return in dollar terms.
The transition could conserve Pakistan more than 200 billion. Pakistani rupees ($ 700 million) a year in imports, translating. to a decline of as much as 2.5 Pakistani rupees per unit in the. price of electricity, Leghari said.
In April a subsidiary of conglomerate Engro. accepted offer all of its thermal properties, including Pakistan's. leading coal manufacturer, Sindh Engro Coal Mining to Pakistan's. Liberty Power. Liberty said the decision stemmed from Pakistan's. forex crunch and its native coal reserve. potential.
The minister decreased to elaborate on the possible talks. with China over re-profiling energy financial obligation.
Pakistan's power sector has been plagued by high rates of. power theft and distribution losses, resulting in accumulating. debt throughout the production chain - a concern raised by the IMF.
The federal government is implementing structural reforms to reduce. circular financial obligation - public liabilities that develop in the power. sector due to aids and unsettled expenses - by 100 billion. Pakistani rupees ($ 360 million) a year, Leghari stated.
Poor and middle-class households have been affected by a. previous IMF bailout reached in 2015, which included raising. power tariffs as part of the financing programme that ended in. April.
Annual power use in Pakistan is expected to fall. consecutively for the very first time in 16 years as greater tariffs. curb household usage, in spite of summer temperature levels rising. to near records, which usually improves cooling and fan. use.
We have actually seen a diminishing demand pattern in the past year or. year and a half, and we are anticipating this to continue unless we. rationalise the cost of power, Leghari said, including that the. government's major challenge was get need to stop shrinking.
He said that given that the per-unit tariff for power is more. expensive, both urban and rural homes are moving towards. options such as solar.
Today we have near to 1,000 megawatts that are on the. grid itself in the kind of net metering systems and others. It's. an extremely conservative quote that
(source: Reuters)