In a significant step towards bolstering bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, Union Minister for Power Shri Manohar Lal, alongside Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri Shripad Naik and senior officials from the Ministry of Power, engaged in a productive discussion with a US delegation led by H.E. Mr. John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy.
Shri Manohar Lal emphasized the deep-rooted bilateral partnership between India and the United States, underscoring the shared commitment to a clean energy future that promotes economic growth and development. He affirmed the Ministry of Power's dedication to strengthening this partnership, particularly through engagements under the ‘Power & Energy Efficiency Pillar’ of the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), which plays a crucial role in achieving India's energy transition goals.
H.E. Mr. John Podesta praised India as a valuable partner and highlighted the mutual support between the two nations in building resilient supply chains and fostering an investment-led partnership strategy. He pointed out key areas for collaboration, including clean energy, energy storage systems, and energy efficiency, and expressed the US's readiness to support India in enhancing its manufacturing capacity.
The discussions centered on several key areas of focus:
Grid and Transmission Modernization: Both sides explored opportunities for technical exchanges to upgrade grid transmission infrastructure to manage future load growth. The talks also covered policy consultations and potential financial support to advance these modernization efforts.
Enhancing Manufacturing Capacity: A significant topic was the potential for building India’s manufacturing capacity in critical areas, such as large transformers, aiming to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.
Energy Storage Systems: The discussions included the possibility of state-to-state partnerships focused on long-duration energy storage studies, as well as further collaboration on grid-scale battery storage solutions.
High-Efficiency Cooling Systems: The meeting emphasized the importance of stimulating manufacturing projects and developing policies to increase India’s capacity to build, deploy, and export high-efficiency air conditioning systems and fans.
The meeting highlighted the vital role of the India-US partnership in driving the global clean energy transition, with both sides expressing their commitment to deepening cooperation in these critical areas.