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Washington DC, August 11: The recent visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to India could not have come at a more crucial juncture. Their meetings with various dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reinforced the need to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, in the wake of India walking out of the WTO. In this context, the Fifth US-India Energy Partnership Summit, scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 1 in Washington DC, and organized by The Energy and Resources Institute North America (TERI NA) and Yale University, would be a significant platform for US-India ties on various fronts.
At an event held in the run up to the Summit on July 30 in New Delhi, Mr Daniel Poneman, US Deputy Secretary of Energy, said: “The US and India are playing important roles globally in terms of energy security and climate change. This is an opportunity, as well as our responsibility, to preserve our precious planet. I believe US-India bilateral relations are poised to create huge opportunities in this sector. The time has come to move from analysis and take effective action in this regard.”
Dr R K Pachauri, President, TERI NA and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said: “Energy security is critical for both the US and India. The recent geopolitical developments in the region from where we import the bulk of our oil, can lead to a drastic increase in oil prices. The devaluation of the Rupee has added to the crisis. But I am confident that we are on the cusp of change in the use of our renewable energy resources. We should be investing more on renewable energy sources in the coming years. India and the US must work together, both in energy security as well as on policy fronts, so that we can bring in some positive changes.”
The focus of the Summit will be on bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and related areas. To reinforce this cooperation, top business bodies including the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), the US-India Business Council (USIBC), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have partnered to take this process forward. The partners at the Pre-Summit Roundtable included UTC, Applied Materials and Azure Power.
Dr Annapurna Vancheswaran, Vice-President, TERI NA, said: “The Summit comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, and the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit. A new climate is gaining momentum to strengthen the growth and development of US-India partnerships.” During the Roundtable, participants set the stage for the Summit and deliberated on new avenues to strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of renewable energy, energy access, green buildings and conventional fuels.
Hosted annually since 2009 by TERI North America and Yale University, the Fifth US-India Energy Partnership Summit will broadly look at 'Accelerating Resilient Growth and Development', while addressing various issues related to energy efficiency, security, access and technology. Stakeholders from various sectors will discuss new collaborations in clean technologies and renewable energy, green buildings and sustainable cities, decentralized energy access, alternatives such as shale gas, etc. Climate change will also form a key component of the discussions, with the proceedings at the General Assembly and Climate Summit providing significant inputs to the Summit deliberations.
For more information, please visit: http://www.terina.org/usindiasummit/
MEDIA CONTACT:
- , Vice-President , TERI NA
E-mail: avanche@teri.res.in/annapurna.vancheswaran@ terina.org
