WASHINGTON, September 19, 2019: The U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) facilitated a dialogue between the governments of New Jersey and Telangana to bolster clean tech cooperation between the two states. During New Jersey governor Phil Murphy’s visit to Telangana, the two states signed a sister-state agreement, which included partnerships in a wide range of sectors, the first such partnership for the U.S. state with an Indian counterpart.
K. T. Rama Rao, Telangana’s minister for industries, information technology, and municipal administration and urban development signed the agreement at a summit in Hyderabad organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Telangana’s Energy Department. At the event, Governor Murphy highlighted emergent energy challenges and opportunities in both states in his remarks.
“We are thrilled to partner with the State of Telangana to further our commitment to the environment by transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources,” said Governor Murphy. “Through this collaboration, we are promoting shared economic opportunity to help both New Jersey and Telangana emerge as true leaders in clean energy.”
The event was attended by senior state energy officials from Telangana’s energy department; the state’s renewable energy agency; and the state’s generation, transmission, and distribution companies. The state’s power secretary, Ajay Mishra, elaborated that he hoped to collaborate with New Jersey-based stakeholders in the areas of energy storage, grid management technologies, and on floating solar. Officials from the private sector and research institutions participated in panels focused on regulations and incentives for grid integration of renewable energy, policy design to support the growth of geothermal energy, energy storage, and smart urban infrastructure development.
Supported by the U.S. Department of State and several U.S. foundations, the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative has facilitated several subnational energy partnerships between the two countries, including an agreement for energy cooperation between the state governments of Gujarat and Colorado in September 2018 and one between Utah and Rajasthan in August 2019.
“The future of U.S.-India energy cooperation, including the deployment of new technologies and undertaking important power sector reforms to manage the energy transition lies with the states. Through this project, we aim to support these states in their joint mission,” stated Dr. Kartikeya Singh, deputy director and senior fellow of the Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies and senior fellow of the Energy and National Security Program at CSIS.