India-US revamped strategic energy partnership

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri co-chaired a virtual Ministerial meeting with U.S.Secretary of Energy Ms. Jennifer Granholm to launch the revamped U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership SCEP. The SCEP is launched in accordance with U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden at the Leaders Summit on Climate held in April this year.The SCEP organizes inter-governmental engagement across five pillars of cooperation, Power and Energy Efficiency, Responsible Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Growth and Emerging Fuels.
Puri and Ms Granholm reviewed the progress, major accomplishments, and prioritized new areas for cooperation under the various pillars.Puri emphasized that the revamped clean energy partnership will intensify the efforts from both sides to take advantage of the complementarities that exist between US and India – advanced US technologies and rapidly growing India’s energy market, for a win-win situation through a cleaner energy route with low carbon pathways.The two sides announced addition of a fifth Pillar on Emerging Fuels, which signals joint resolve to promote cleaner energy fuels. A new India-US Task Force on Biofuels was also announced to build on the scope of work on cooperation in biofuels sector.
US Secretary lauded India’s renewable energy target of 450 Giga Watt by 2030 and offered to closely collaborate in realization of this target by India.The two sides also announced rechristening of Gas Task Force to India-US Low Emissions Gas Task Force, which would continue to forge collaboration between U.S. and Indian companies on innovative projects to support India’s vision of gas-based economy. The meeting also reviewed the progress on the India-US Civil Nuclear Energy cooperation.