USAID announces 5 new partnerships in India

The Dollar Business Bureau

The Indo-US cooperation is in a new phase, with US agency USAID announcing 5 new partnerships that would enhance the cooperation that US intends to help India in the field of renewable energy (RE). These 5 new partnerships are in the fields of climate change, clean energy, and environment. The transition is aimed to usher in a low-emission and energy-secure India.

Of the 5 new partnerships announced by USAID, 4 are with governmental agencies. This was revealed to the media by USAID Assistant Administrator Jonathan Stivers, who said, "USAID welcomes and appreciates this historic opportunity to play a useful role in Indias path forward." Johnathan was in India representing his agency at the second US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.

Detailing the partnerships USAID said that the first among these new partnerships is the agency's commitment to work with BESCOM the Bengaluru-based power utility and the US-based Innovari to launch the first green grid pilot, under the Greening grid initiative. This is an initiative between the Indian Power Ministry and USAID to strengthen the country's power grid in order to manage large-scale integration of renewable energy. A robust ambitious plan of the Power Ministry aiming to give 24/7 power to all Indian households by 2020 by adding and integrating 175 gigawatts of RE into the national grid.

Another partnership between USAID and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) agreed to expand their solar rooftop programme another 8 states and 15 utilities.

A statement released by USAID read,"during the first phase of this programme, USAID and MNRE supported the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh to introduce appropriate net-metering policies and regulations and provided technical assistance to the state distribution utilities implementing solar rooftop programs.

"In the expanded programme, USAID will also partner with MNRE to train 5,000 utility engineers and 1,000 bankers and entrepreneurs on installation and operation best practices for solar rooftop systems."