India, US launch programmes under ISA in New York

The Dollar Business Bureau

Indian Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal and French Minister of Environment & President of COP21 Ségolène Royal, on Friday, launched two programmes of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) – “Affordable finance at scale” and “Scaling solar applications for agricultural use”.

Goyal on his three-day official visit to New York, participated in the launch of programmes under International Solar Alliance at the United Nation Headquarter, in New York, USA, on Friday.

The event was attended by ministers and representatives from almost 25 countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru, Djibouti, Surinam, Zambia, Bolivia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Mali, India, USA and France.

In the event, Goyal invited American companies to invest in India’s vast energy sector. “These programmes will serve the interests of the farming communities in the prospective ISA member countries and ensure that there is sufficient flow of affordable finance for solar projects,” said Goyal in an official statement.

All the ministers expressed their commitment to take strong action to harmonise and aggregate the demand for solar finance, mature solar technologies, and future solar technologies. He added, “The ISA will provide a vibrant platform to bring together countries with rich solar potential to aggregate demand for solar energy globally; thereby reducing prices, promoting collaborative solar R&D and capacity, and facilitating the deployment of existing solar technologies at scale,” he added.

The decision was taken to accelerate enormous deployment of solar energy at various scales in their respective countries. The ministers and representatives also decided to analyse and share the need, objectives, and obstacles to benefits a collective action under the Alliance. For this objective, they said, they will design innovative programmes leveraging initiatives from the ground level.