India, US strengthen energy sector collaboration, focus on grid modernization and energy storage

India and the United States have expanded their bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, focusing on grid modernization, energy storage, and enhancing manufacturing capacity. This development was highlighted during a meeting between Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy.

Manohar Lal emphasized the strong partnership between India and the US and reiterated the Ministry of Power’s commitment to the ‘Power & Energy Efficiency Pillar’ under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP). He called for joint efforts to achieve energy transition goals.

John Podesta recognized India as a key partner, stressing the importance of resilient supply chains and an investment-driven partnership. He noted the potential for collaboration in clean energy, energy storage systems, and energy efficiency, and expressed the US’s readiness to support India’s efforts to strengthen its manufacturing capacity.

Discussions centred on modernizing grid and transmission systems to handle future load growth, with an emphasis on technical exchanges and policy consultations. Strengthening India’s manufacturing capacity, particularly for large transformers, was a major focus to reduce import dependency. The talks also explored state-level collaborations on long-duration energy storage studies and grid-scale battery storage solutions.