A meeting between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India was held on August 29, 2023, to launch the new U.S. – India Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership. RETAP was announced during the June 22, 2023 meeting in Washington D. C., between His Excellency Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States of America and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minister Modi, when the two leaders announced the expansion of collaboration on new and emerging technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition. This launch marks rapid translation of the leaders’ vision into reality.
Led by DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk and MNRE Secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, the RETAP was established to take bilateral collaboration further with a result-oriented, time-bound technology-focus. It is intended to advance new and emerging renewable technologies with a view toward deployment and scaling. RETAP’s initial focus is to be on green/clean hydrogen, wind energy, long duration energy storage, and to explore geothermal energy, ocean/tidal energy and other emerging technologies as mutually determined in the future.
DOE and MNRE outlined an initial workplan regarding RETAP collaboration. Work is guided by five themes:
- Research & Development
- Piloting & Testing of Innovative Technologies
- Advanced Training & Skill Development
- Policy and Planning for Advancing RET and enabling technologies
- Investment, Incubation and Outreach programmes
During the meeting, the delegations shared information about emerging technology developments in each country, including hydrogen, energy storage, wind, geothermal energy, and marine renewable energy technologies, and clean energy deployment programs.
Going forward, DOE and MNRE intend to enhance RETAP collaboration, including potentially through the creation of a RETAP Steering Committee, joint working groups and collaboration among subject matter experts.