US slaps 126% tariff on solar firms, cites Adani not joining subsidy prob

The US Department of Commerce slapped a 126% tariff on all Indian solar products after two Adani Group companies, Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV, withdrew from the investigation proceedings, a preliminary anti-subsidy investigation report reviewed by The Indian Express shows.

The Adani Group companies were ‘mandatory respondents’ in the proceedings, and their non-cooperation triggered ‘Adverse Facts Available’ penalty, the toughest methodology used by the US Department of Commerce. The order dated February 20 has resulted in steep tariffs being slapped on the sector.

India and UK launch offshore wind taskforce

India and the UK on February 18 launched the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce aimed at accelerating strategic clean energy cooperation through time-bound, execution-focused collaboration, DTE reported.

The Taskforce is designed to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s nascent offshore wind ecosystem. While the UK brings experience in scaling offshore wind and building mature supply chains, India offers scale, long-term demand and a rapidly expanding clean energy market, the report stated.

India govt holds stakeholder consultation on draft floating solar policy

The Centre discussed the draft floating solar PV (FSPV) potential assessment report and draft floating solar policy with stakeholders, HT reported. The floating solar potential report has been prepared by National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) and the policy by IIT Roorkee, respectively, It says that considering the prevailing land constraints faced in Renewable Energy (RE) projects, floating solar has emerged as an alternate avenue. “However, only around 700 MW of FSPV projects have been commissioned in India, so far. This is majorly due to lack of data on the potential sites and clear framework for project execution,” MNRE said. 

MNRE has requested all states/UTs to have internal consultations with all stakeholders at the state level like water resources/irrigation, revenue, fisheries, forest, agriculture, DISCOMs/Transcom, PWD, tourism, pollution control etc., and provide their comments and feedbacks on draft policy and potential. “

Renewables’ share to reach 26% of total power generation by FY2026-end: Infomerics Ratings

Renewable energy will account for 26% of India’s total power generation by the end of FY2026, despite softer demand conditions, PV Magazine reported citing study by Infomerics Ratings.

“RE capacity additions touched a record 49 GW in the 9MFY2026, keeping pace with the national target of 500 GW by FY2030. RE accounts for nearly 64% of incremental electricity generation growth during 9MFY26. Consequently, the RE share in overall electricity generation is projected to rise to 26% in FY2026, marking a 4-percentage point increase over FY2025,” said Rohit Inamdar, Chief Rating Officer at Infomerics Ratings

Battery storage costs dropped to record low in 2025

The cost of battery storage projects fell to all-time low in 2025, even as the cost of other renewables saw an increase, according to BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) 2026 report, cited by Mercom. 

The global benchmark cost for a four-hour battery project fell 27% year-over-year to $78/MWh in 2025, a huge drop from battery storage prices in 2009, the report said.

BNEF said the LCOE for a four-hour energy storage system stood below $100/MWh in six markets, adding that lower battery pack prices, increased competition among manufacturers, and improved system designs contributed to the decline.

The report noted that falling battery storage costs accelerated the buildout of co-located renewable projects. This was underscored by developers adding 87 GW of combined solar and storage in 2025, delivering power at an average of $57/MWh.

By contrast, the benchmark cost of a typical fixed-axis solar farm increased by 6% from 2025 to $39/MWh, while onshore wind reached $40/MWh and offshore wind climbed to $100/MWh globally.

RE supply: France and Sweden push to kill mechanism to pay for massive EU grid upgrades

France and Sweden want to block the European Commission’s grids package – a proposal announced in December that would see countries share the cost of major upgrades to the EU’s electricity network, reported Politico.

The news portal said the package would “massively expand the EU’s electricity grid so it can more efficiently carry renewably generated power across the continent” and is “seen as an essential step on the EU’s path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050”. It added that, under the plan, “wealthier countries with developed electricity systems would help bankroll countries with less-developed grids”. However, France and Sweden are arguing that the proposal “will hand them an unfair financial burden”, Politico report said.