New Delhi– In a bid to strengthen the US-India energy cooperation, USAID, the US Energy Information Administration and NITI Aayog have signed an agreement to support the design of a nodal agency for energy management data, the US Ambassador to India said on Wednesday.
In an agreement, USAID and NITI Aayog extend cooperation on the Sustainable Growth Working Group to September 2017.
With the existing strategies, the two countries will be able to make more informed policy decisions using better energy data and applying enhanced modelling to understand the key trends shaping the energy future. Again, geospatial analysis will help to determine how solar and wind resources can be applied at the best.
“We are pleased to sign two new agreements which expand the partnership between some of the most talented researchers in our two countries and accelerate efforts,” said Ambassador Richard R. Verma.
He was addressing the NITI Aayog Conference on Energy Data Management, Energy Modelling, and Geospatial Analysis here.
“Under this agreement, the cooperation between the Prayas Energy Group and the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is enhanced through direct cooperation with the US Government’s lead agency for energy information. This will strengthen how energy data is collected, managed and consumed,” he said.
According to Verma, the Working Group’s focus on energy and environmental modelling is aimed to help India’s decision-makers to understand potential flash points for water scarcity and identify opportunities to manage the growth in demand.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most recent visit to the US, new initiatives were announced to raise $1.4 billion in finance for solar projects, he said.
