India-US Strategic Clean Energy Partnership discuss future roadmap

New Delhi: India and US Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) on Tuesday welcomed setting up of the public-private energy storage task force and related efforts to help large-scale integration of renewable energy, needed to support the clean energy transition.

The ministerial meeting of the SCEP, which was held between petroleum minister Hardeep Puri and US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, appreciated deepened collaboration to scale and accelerate deployment of hydrogen technologies through the public-private hydrogen task force and other efforts in support of their national hydrogen strategies, including a focus on common cost reduction goals.

The forum also lauded the launch of the US-India new and emerging renewable energy technologies action platform (RETAP) to accelerate development of key technologies to advance common ambitious clean energy goals.

Both the sides discussed ways of advancing the positive agenda outlined by prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Joe Biden in their Joint Statement of June 22, 2023 which welcomed efforts under the SCEP to develop and deploy energy storage technologies, expand collaboration in support of their respective national hydrogen strategies and cost reduction goals, and accelerate cooperation on new and emerging renewable energy technologies.

During the meeting, the two sides noted the growing importance of bilateral energy cooperation between the countries while underscoring the critical importance of bilateral clean energy engagement and the achievements of the SCEP in strengthening energy security, creating opportunities for clean energy innovation, addressing climate change and creating employment generation opportunities.

In this context, the sides welcomed the growing energy trade between the countries which has been consistently scaling new heights and welcomed the commercial partnerships facilitated by the SCEP.

The two ministers affirmed the vision of Prime Minister Modi and President Biden for establishing the Global Biofuels Alliance which is set to be launched this week in Goa.

The ministers discussed the role that the Global Biofuels Alliance will play in strengthening markets, facilitating global biofuels trade, development of concrete policy lesson-sharing and provision of technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.

The sides also underscored the importance of a stable, sustainable, diversified, resilient, and globally responsible clean energy supply chain to enable energy transition pathways while minimizing risks and uncertainty.