Defence Solar Push (India): India’s Ministry of Defence has approved a first-of-its-kind 250 MW solar-plus-BESS project on 850 acres of unused defence land in Sitapur, with NTPC set to develop it via competitive bidding—aimed at boosting reliability for defence infrastructure and cutting long-term power procurement costs. Distributed Solar Tax-Safe Harbor (US): PowerBank says it has secured IRS “safe harbour” for 8 distributed solar-and-storage projects totaling about 30 MW DC and 31 MWh in New York and Pennsylvania, helping them stay eligible for federal Investment Tax Credits. Corporate Clean Power (US): Meta signed a 180 MW solar PPA with Zelestra for Texas’s Palmera Solar Plant, adding to a growing portfolio of Meta-backed renewables. Grid Resilience Finance (Africa): Zambia committed up to $275 million over 15 years to modernize electricity distribution, linking sovereign bond buyback financing to a grid resilience program. Renewables Policy in Europe: The European Commission approved Italy’s €23bn renewables state-aid scheme supporting onshore wind, solar, hydropower and sewage gas, targeting 37.15 GW added capacity by 2030. Hydropower Build-Out (Nepal): Construction has begun on Nepal’s 180 MW Kaligandaki Gorge hydropower project, with a planned four-year timeline. Hydrogen Pilot (Nepal): Butwal Power Company inaugurated a 50 kW green hydrogen pilot using renewable hydropower and electrolysis, supported by the World Bank and UK funding. Energy Stress Warning (US): A new report warns Lake Mead could approach a “system crash,” raising alarms for drought-hit states.