Today, the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial was convened by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri in Washington D.C. The sides reviewed the initiatives undertaken across the technical pillars under the SCEP, including Power & Energy Efficiency, Responsible Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Emerging Fuels & Technologies, and Sustainable Growth. The ministers welcomed progress made under the partnership to drive clean energy innovation, strengthen energy security, and accelerate clean energy transitions, including through more focused efforts on clean energy manufacturing and building resilient, responsible, stable, secure and diversified supply chains.
While recognizing the need to work towards a just, orderly and sustainable energy transition, which prioritizes access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy supplies, the sides welcomed the important role that energy trade plays in supporting the national priorities of both countries.
The ministers recognized the progress the two countries have made to accelerate development and deployment of emerging clean energy technologies, advancing renewable energy deployment and reliable grid integration, promote energy efficiency, and advance decarbonization of high-emitting sectors like industry, buildings, and transport.
The ministers welcomed the formal launch of the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) in August 2023, aimed at developing actionable roadmaps for hydrogen, long duration energy storage, offshore wind, and geothermal, through R&D, pilots and demonstration, and incubation-investment-industry networks. They also expressed satisfaction at the progress being made by both sides under the RETAP mechanism.
The two countries welcomed collaboration on the new National Centre for Hydrogen Safety in India and partnership on the 2nd International Conference on Green Hydrogen held in September 2024. The ministers highlighted expanded bilateral expert exchanges on clean hydrogen R&D, cost reduction efforts, and implementation of hydrogen hubs in both countries through RETAP, the public-private Hydrogen Task Force. The ministers also welcomed work on use of green hydrogen in buses, tractors and heavy equipment.
The ministers stressed the importance of supporting large-scale grid integration of renewable energy while enabling flexible and reliable grid operations through energy storage. They welcomed the formal launch of the public-private Energy Storage Task Force to address policy and regulatory frameworks, safety, manufacturing and supply chains, and innovative business models; focused RETAP efforts on long duration energy storage and alternative chemistries to Li-ion technologies; efforts on the technical and economic feasibility of various storage technologies available for a renewable energy battery energy storage system (BESS) in the state of Assam; and support for BESS bids and pilots in Haryana. The sides also recognized pumped storage as a long-term energy storage option.
Originally published at https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-india-strategic-clean-energy-partnership-ministerial-joint-statement
