N.K. Singh is 15th finance panel leader

January 12, 2025
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The Centre on Monday announced that the Fifteenth Finance Commission might be headed by former Secretary to the Government of India N.K. Singh.

The panel to make its recommendations for the five years beginning April 1, 2020, will encompass Shaktikanta Das, former Economic Affairs Secretary, and Anoop Singh, adjunct professor at Georgetown University. “Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Chairman (non-govt, part-time), Bandhan Bank, and Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, will be the element-time contributors of the Commission,” the government stated in a statement. “Arvind Mehta will be the Secretary to the Commission.” The panel is tasked with searching into tax collections and how they’re to be divided among the Centre and the States, the principles that should govern the grants in the useful resource to the States, and to check the degrees of a monetary deficit, amongst different problems.

The “green gold rush” is on. Global investment in renewable energy surged a few 60 percent, to $148 billion closing 12 months. Investment in smooth power from wind, sun, and biofuels rose three instances quicker in 2007 than the U.N. Environmental Program predicted, with wind energy attracting $50.2 billion, a 3rd of all clean power investments. Sun strength investment soared 254 percent to $28.6 billion closing yr. This “inexperienced gold rush” is propelled by the soaring fossil-gasoline costs and concerns over carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline worldwide warming.

The world is at an undeniable crossroads. Projections display that three to four times greater electric electricity may be required over the following 50 years to support a persevered boom in the populace and financial output. Clean, renewable resources are the solution. “Unlike different essential power transitions, consisting of wooden-to-coal and coal-to-oil, transferring from oil to options might be pressured and rapid,” writes Charles Cresson Wood, President of Post-Petroleum Transportation, a consulting company.

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The Cost of Conventional Energy

In the ultimate six years, uranium fees have moved from $7 a pound to $eighty a pound. Coal has moved from $22 a ton added to the plant to $55 a ton, and natural gas has long gone from $2 in line with million BTUs to $12 per million BTUs. Oil went from $20 to $one hundred forty-five a barrel.

As these dirty energy assets grow to be extra luxurious, so follow the added price of strength leaping through 70 percent within the closing six years in New Jersey and plenty of other states. All analysts expect a persevered will increase in electricity expenses.

Americans Want Solar

94% of Americans say it is essential for the U.S. To develop and use solar strength. Seventy-two% want the extension of Federal tax credits for renewable technology, and 77% of Americans need the authorities to make solar power improvement a national precedence, consistent with the unbiased polling company, Kelton Research, June 10, 2008. “These outcomes are a plain sign to our elected leaders that Americans need activity-creating solar strength,” stated Rhone Resch, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“Solar development manner task boom for Americans, by using Americans, in an enterprise so one can advantage America,” stated Dr. Gerald Fine, President & CEO of SCHOTT North America. “Rather than depend upon overseas sources for gas, the U.S. Can aspire to grow to be the world’s leader in smooth strength.”

Intending to invest $6 billion in renewable strength by using 2010, General Electric already passed the $four billion mark this July. Within years, G.E. says that renewable power will make up almost a quarter of its overall investments in energy, up from 10% in 2006. Investment banks Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs all plan to take advantage of global interest in renewable investments. Meanwhile, NYMEX, the New York-based stock change, recently shaped a consortium of financial institutions to release a Green Exchange to exchange Renewable Energy Credits.

The Market Speaks: Renewable Energy Finance Forum-Wall StreetOver six hundred senior executives attended the fifth annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF) held this June in New York City. “Every 12 months, we have an increasing number of visible economic leaders on Wall Street recognize renewable electricity corporations as an essential increase area for the United States financial system,” said Michael Eckhart, President of the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) who hosted the forum together with Euromoney Energy Events. “This new reality has helped launch renewable electricity investing into mainstream monetary arenas and continues to pressure the momentum of the enterprise,” said Eckhart.

Top analysts forecasted the enterprise’s potential inside the U.S. for solar power, wind energy, and biofuels. Speakers also drew attention to wavering political problems threatening the viability of renewable traits. Congress currently debates the extension of critical funding catalysts like the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit.

“Wall Street has proven to us that the full forces of American innovation are equipped to be deployed to meet our energy-demanding situations. ISupposegovernment leaders can offer a solid lengthy-time period climate for investment; in that case, the renewable strength quarter will see unheard of toom, supplying sizable economic opportunities and environmental benefits,” said John Geesman, Co-Chair of the ACORE Board of Directors and former Calif. Secretary of Energy.

G.E. Financial Services and ACORE released a report on the REFF weighing the lengthy-time monetary effect of wind improvement with the up-front price of the manufacturing tax credit score. The record located that the 2007 U.S. wind development’s internet gift value is well worth $250 million more than the rate tag for the tax credit, which became approximately $nine billion last 12 months. According to the report, the tax credit will pay for itself because of tax revenue from wind projects, worker wages, and different taxes. Once the PTC and ITC troubles are behind the industry, the following massive conflict on Capitol Hill may be over a carbon-weighted coverage like cap and trade, in line with presenters.

“We truly need extra power. We’re now not ready for governments to craft the suitable regulations,” said Vivienne Cox, Executive Vice President of B.P.’s alternative strength business. “This is a vital market, and we’re going to construct an enterprise around it.”The U.S. is the arena’s fourth-biggest solar power marketplace after Germany, Japan, and Spain. Japan aims for 30 percent of all its homes to have solar panels installed by way of 2030, bringing the range of installations to fourteen million, consistent with Kyodo News. Japanese sun panel manufacturers, encompassing Sharp, account for half of-of the arena output of sun-strength gadgets.