India and the U.S. have declared their intention to work together on a number of projects aimed at advancing the use of hydrogen in buses, tractors, and heavy machinery, as well as encouraging the use of sustainable aviation fuel and the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
On September 17, 2024, India and the U.S. issued a joint statement, announcing that both nations “welcomed increased investment in each country’s clean energy markets.” The statement was issued following the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial, which was convened in Washington, D.C., a day before by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
As per media reports, during the meeting, the participants reviewed various initiatives under the SCEP’s technical pillars, such as Power & Energy Efficiency, Responsible Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Emerging Fuels & Technologies, and Sustainable Growth.
It has also been reported that ministers from both countries acknowledged the role of energy trade in supporting their national priorities. Both India and the U.S. have emphasized the need for concerted national and local actions to ensure sustainable clean energy transitions.
Advancements in clean energy collaboration
At the latest rounds of discussion, India and the U.S. acknowledged significant progress in developing and deploying emerging clean energy technologies, enhancing renewable energy integration, promoting energy efficiency, and decarbonizing high-emission sectors like industry, transport, and buildings.
The two countries also commended progress achieved with the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP). This initiative, launched in August 2023, focuses on creating actionable roadmaps for advancing technologies such as hydrogen, energy storage, offshore wind, and geothermal energy.
Furthermore, the ministers welcomed joint efforts, including the establishment of India’s National Centre for Hydrogen Safety and the organization of the 2nd International Conference on Green Hydrogen in September 2024. They noted substantial progress in clean hydrogen research and development, cost reduction efforts, and the creation of hydrogen hubs through RETAP and the Hydrogen Task Force.
Strengthening renewable energy integration and grid modernization
India and the U.S. emphasized the urgent need for large-scale renewable energy integration into the grid, highlighting the importance of ensuring flexible and reliable grid operations through the use of energy storage. To address these challenges, the two countries announced the collaborative launch of a public-private Energy Storage Task Force. This initiative aims to focus on key areas such as policy frameworks, safety, manufacturing, and supply chains to support energy storage development.
India highlighted its progress in long-duration energy storage, exploring alternative chemistries beyond lithium-ion technology, and advancing battery energy storage systems (BESS) in regions like Assam and Haryana. Pumped storage was also acknowledged as a promising long-term energy storage solution.
The partnership agreed to further promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and a new engagement on SAF was initiated through workshops focused on R&D, tax incentives, supply chain capacity building, market development, and fuel certification. The ministers also praised the development of joint reports on SAF and biofuels under the Biofuels Task Force.
New initiatives in U.S.-India partnership
New collaborations on electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles were a key focus, with workshops and expert exchanges facilitating the transition to electric freight and buses. A notable initiative under discussion was the deployment of 10,000 electric buses in India as part of the newly launched PM eBus Sewa scheme.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri emphasized India’s significant progress in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as efforts to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector through technical cooperation with the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).
Further recognition was given to advancements in smart grid and energy storage technologies through the recently concluded U.S.-India Collaborative for Smart Distribution System with Storage (UI-ASSIST) program. The ministers expressed satisfaction with ongoing public-private dialogues, which are helping to shape policy frameworks, scale up clean energy technologies, reduce costs, and encourage investment and partnerships.
