As the world’s two largest democracies, the United States and India share the goals of strengthening economies and protecting the environment. This is why the United States and India are committed to working together to find answers to some of the biggest challenges of our time.  When President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met earlier this year, clean energy cooperation was a key topic of discussion.

Yesterday, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Indian Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal co-chaired the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue here in Washington, DC. Their discussions focused on our mutual goals for combatting climate change, ensuring energy security, and fostering economic growth.

To deliver access to electricity for all of the people of India, the Indian government has the opportunity and the need to demonstrate major breakthroughs in energy efficiency and to deploy new technologies.  The United States is working in partnership with the Indian Government to help achieve these breakthroughs and in doing so, discovering new methods and technologies that can be applied around the globe—even in the United States.

The United States and India are already working together on a number of important energy initiatives.

• Established in 2009, the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE) continues to be the cornerstone of our cooperation and is on track to help the Indian government achieve its energy and development related missions.  So far it has mobilized $2.4 billion for clean energy finance, helping India meet the first gigawatt of its ambitious 100 gigawatt solar energy target.
• Our Joint Clean Energy R&D Center (under PACE-R) is pushing technological innovation in solar energy, biofuels, and energy efficiency for buildings.  Soon, we plan to expand this research partnership into the critical areas of smart grids and energy storage for grid applications.
• Through the Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE) initiative, launched in 2013, we are working together in support of India’s goal to bring electricity access to roughly 300 million people (nearly the population of the United States).  This initiative supports the development and deployment of innovative off-grid technologies and business models.
• Yesterday’s Energy Dialogue was particularly exciting because of the recently-launched PACESetter fund, which will provide $8 million in partnership with the Indian Government to support innovation in energy access delivery.

The Energy Dialogue also afforded us an opportunity to look ahead to later this year in Paris, when the world will meet to agree on coordinated international action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  A key part of the solution to the global challenge of climate change is affordable, low-carbon energy technology. New energy technologies drive down costs and enable more ambitious policies. The U.S.-India Energy Dialogue energized our two countries to continue to collaborate for a brighter shared future.