India-US Strategic Clean Energy Partnership

India-US Strategic Clean Energy Partnership

News: Recently, the Ministerial meeting of the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) was held. Instructions – You can use some of the examples mentioned in your answers on India’s role in transitioning towards clean energy mechanism or India-US relations. Important for GS-II and GS-III.

What is SCEP?
• The SCEP was launched in April 2021 as part of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership, announced by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate.
• The SCEP aims to accelerate a just and sustainable energy transition, enhance energy security and innovation, and promote economy-wide decarbonization and electrification.
• The SCEP has five pillars of collaboration - Renewable Energy, Power and Energy Efficiency, Responsible Oil and Gas, Sustainable Growth and Emerging Fuels and Technology.

Key Highlights:
• Both sides agreed to work toward development of Net zero village in India to support the clean energy transition.
• Establishment of the public-private Energy Storage Task Force to support the clean energy transition; Deployment of hydrogen technologies and Launch of the U.S.-India New and Emerging Renewable Energy Technologies Action Platform (RETAP).
• Both sides launched the South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE) to deepen the engagement between Indian agencies and US national laboratories to support research, analysis and capacity building activities.
• The Ministers affirmed that the SCEP represents a comprehensive vision to decarbonise while ensuring healthy rates of growth for both countries.
• The Ministers-affirmed the vision of both nations for establishing the Global Biofuels Alliance. They discussed role 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.
• Both sides welcomed the addition of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage as a work stream under the Emerging Fuels and Technology Pillar.