Washington DC:The Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial was held on Monday in Washington DC, led by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri. The meeting underscored the ongoing collaboration between the two nations to advance clean energy initiatives and enhance energy security.
During the ministerial, both leaders reviewed progress across the key technical pillars of the SCEP, including Power & Energy Efficiency, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Emerging Fuels & Technologies, and Sustainable Growth. They expressed satisfaction with the advancements made under the partnership, which aims to drive clean energy innovation and build resilient and diversified supply chains.
The ministers emphasised the importance of a just and orderly energy transition that ensures access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy supplies. They acknowledged the vital role of energy trade in supporting the national priorities of both countries.
Key highlights from the meeting included the formal launch of the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) in August 2023. RETAP focuses on developing roadmaps for hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, offshore wind, and geothermal technologies. The ministers welcomed the progress achieved under RETAP and noted the collaborative efforts on clean hydrogen R&D, including the recent International Conference on Green Hydrogen.
The ministers also highlighted the formal launch of the public-private Energy Storage Task Force. This initiative aims to address policy and regulatory frameworks, safety, manufacturing, and innovative business models for energy storage technologies. The task force will focus on long-duration energy storage and alternative chemistries to lithium-ion technologies, with efforts on battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Assam and Haryana.