Deadline extended for clean energy projects - Energy News India- Power News India, Energy, Oil and Gas News

RENEWABLE ENERGY India has asked its agencies implementing clean energy projects to allow developers more time to complete such projects, on account of delays caused by the nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. In an attempt to help the country get back on its clean energy trajectory, this time extension will be equivalent to the period of lockdown and an additional thirty days for normalisation of services after the lockdown ends. Recognizing that the 40-day nationwide lockdown will delay all execution, the move will protect clean energy developers from the risk of penalties, including fines and encashment of bank guarantees for missing their project completion deadline. “In an order issued on 17-4-2020, the Ministry noted that, thus, the extension will be for the period of lockdown plus 30 (thirty) days. This will be a blanket extension – there will be no requirement of case to case examination. There will be no need to ask for any evidence for extension due to lockdown,” the ministry of new and renewable energy said in a statement on Tuesday.