Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and India’s Minister of New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba joined the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), India’s Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and SED Fund for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) promoting coordination and capacity-building between state-level energy officials in the United States and India.
The MOU between NASEO, representing the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials in the United States, and AREAS, representing State Nodal Agencies in India, establishes a framework for U.S. and Indian states to share priorities, best practices, and strategies to promote clean energy and climate solutions, drawing on NASEO’s decades-long work representing and elevating the priorities of State Energy Offices.
“The international community faces a tremendous challenge in the climate crisis, and it’s one we cannot overcome without India wielding its great influence,” noted Secretary Granholm. “This is a moment that requires action at every level of government. Policies come to life at the local level—from EV charging stations to wind farms. And in the U.S., and in India, that cities and states often set an example for our national governments, pushing them further to meet the needs of their communities.”
“The State Nodal Agencies of India’s Ministry for New and Renewable Energy are getting projects implemented on the ground,” added Minister Khuba. “AREAS offers a forum to enable rapid development of renewable energy projects in India. This cooperation will allow AREAS to leverage an extended network of state energy institutions in aligning policies and promoting coordination among Indian implementation agencies to achieve our country’s climate goals. Thank you to CSIS for facilitating the partnership.”
The MOU signing event also included key officials and representatives from the U.S. and Indian Governments, including Senior Advisor to the Secretary for International Affairs Andrew Light, Indian Secretary for New and Renewable Energy Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, Indian Joint Secretary for International Relations for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Dinesh D. Jagdale, and AREAS Executive Director Jeevan Kumar Jethani. The NASEO-AREAS partnership has been supported by CSIS’s Wadwhani Chair in U.S.-India Studies, with support from the SED Fund.
A full recording of the event is available here, with passcode: q9q8^jLw.