US, India expand clean energy research

The United States and India have agreed to a $30 million expansion of their clean energy research work, the Energy Department (DOE) announced on Wednesday. 

The DOE and its Indian counterpart each pledged to spend $1.5 million annually for five years to study smart grid and energy storage technologies. Private sector partners will kick in the remaining $15 million, the department said. 

{mosads}”Smart grid and storage technology will transform how we produce and consume electricity, which has the potential to decrease carbon pollution by scaling up renewable energy deployment,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement. 

“Working collaboratively with India will accelerate solutions to drive down technology costs and improve grid resilience and reliability in both countries.”

The U.S. and India launched the clean energy research project in 2009 and announced a $50 million investment in solar power, energy efficiency and biofuels research in 2012. The smart grid and energy storage research represents a new front in the countries’ energy push. 

India has been an emerging partner for the United States in the energy sphere. In June, during a visit to Washington from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries announced a $60 million investment in clean energy projects in India, with the country also committing to reducing emissions there in the future.