US, India convene clean energy partnership ministerial in Washington D.C.

The Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial, led by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, took place in Washington D.C. on September 17.

Both countries reviewed progress across SCEP's key areas, including power and energy efficiency, responsible oil and gas practices, renewable energy, emerging fuels and technologies, and sustainable development.

Acknowledging the importance of a just, orderly, and sustainable energy transition that ensures access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy, both nations recognised the vital role of energy trade in supporting their respective national priorities.

The ministers welcomed the official launch of the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) in August 2023. This initiative aims to create practical roadmaps for hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, offshore wind, and geothermal energy through research and development, pilot programmes, and industry collaboration. They expressed satisfaction with RETAP's progress.

Collaboration between the two countries on the National Centre for Hydrogen Safety in India, along with their joint efforts at the 2nd International Conference on Green Hydrogen in September 2024, was also celebrated. The ministers highlighted bilateral exchanges of expertise on clean hydrogen research, cost reduction strategies, and the establishment of hydrogen hubs through RETAP and the public-private Hydrogen Task Force. They also emphasised the use of green hydrogen in sectors such as buses, tractors, and heavy equipment.

The ministers underscored the importance of integrating renewable energy on a large scale while ensuring grid flexibility and reliability through energy storage. They welcomed the launch of the public-private Energy Storage Task Force, which aims to address policy, regulatory frameworks, safety, manufacturing, and supply chain issues, as well as develop innovative business models. RETAP's focus on long-duration energy storage and alternative chemistries to Li-ion batteries was commended, along with efforts to evaluate the technical and economic viability of different renewable energy battery storage technologies.

Both countries stressed the need to modernise power distribution systems to provide consumers with reliable, 24/7 electricity. They welcomed support for India’s smart metering deployment and expanded efforts in areas such as inverter-based resources, power market reforms, system inertia estimation, and cybersecurity.

The ministers agreed to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and welcomed new engagement through an inaugural SAF workshop focused on research and development, tax incentives, supply chain development, market expansion, fuel certification, financing, and international coalition building. They also noted the progress on two joint reports on SAF and biofuels under the Biofuels Task Force.

The ministers applauded new collaborations on electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including workshops and expert exchanges on e-freight and electric buses. They acknowledged the rollout of India’s PM eBus Sewa scheme, which aims to deploy 10,000 electric buses across the country.

Progress on carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) was also highlighted, including a workshop in Delhi in August 2024 that identified key areas of cooperation in geologic carbon storage. The ministers noted continued efforts to build capacity in energy modelling and life cycle emission analysis.

Additionally, they commended progress on methane reduction in the oil and gas sector, supported through technical cooperation with India’s Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).

The ministers also acknowledged the advanced research on smart grids and energy storage technologies under the recently concluded US-India Collaborative for Smart Distribution Systems with Storage (UI-ASSIST) programme, as part of the US-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research.

They expressed satisfaction with the robust public-private sector dialogues that contribute to policy frameworks, the scaling of clean energy technologies, and the facilitation of investments and commercial partnerships. Growing investments in clean energy markets in both countries were welcomed, including a recent investment by Indian company Waaree in a 3-GW solar module manufacturing facility in Texas. The signing of three new memoranda of understanding between commercial partners, focusing on emissions measurement and methane reduction, including in City Gas Distribution (CGD), was also noted.

The ministers emphasised that successful energy transitions require coordinated action at national and local levels, alongside capacity building and the sharing of best practices. They praised the breadth of the U.S.-India clean energy partnership in addressing climate challenges and fostering innovation to build more resilient, secure, and diversified clean energy supply chains.