The U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative Announces a Historic Partnership between Colorado and Gujarat

September 17, 2018

 
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Delhi-based Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, which together lead the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative, announce a partnership between the government of Gujarat and the government of Colorado. Over two days, the two governments held a Colorado-Gujarat Energy Partnership Dialogue focused on emergent energy challenges and opportunities in both states.
 
The Gujarat Energy Research Management Institute (GERMI), including representatives of CEPT University, Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI), Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), Gujarat Power Engineering and Research Institute (GPERI), and Gujarat Energy Training and Research Institute (GETRI), with their counterparts from Colorado, including representatives of the University of Colorado, Boulder, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Colorado School of Mines, deliberated opportunities on areas such as renewable energy integration, energy storage, utility business models and innovations, energy planning including demand-side management and energy efficiency opportunities, and electric mobility. Participants also engaged in a roundtable discussion organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to unlock prospects for commercial engagement in the energy sector between the two states. The roundtable concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Colorado Energy Office and GERMI to promote policy exchange on the integration of renewable energy and transportation electrification, promote collaborative research activities, and enable private sector exchange between the two states.
 
“Both Colorado and Gujarat are energy powerhouses in their respective country. Both states bolster forward-thinking energy policy, robust energy focused economies, and unrivaled educational and research institutions,” said Kathleen Staks, Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office. “We are excited to formalize a partnership pathway, which will increase investment potential to further build on these states’ energy strengths.”
 
Supported by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative “has broken new grounds in connecting U.S. and Indian states to dialogue about their shared fate in managing the energy transition,” stated Dr. Kartikeya Singh, Deputy Director, Wadhwani Chair at CSIS. “One of the biggest efforts of the initiative is what you see before you today—the convening of two of the most dynamic states in both countries laying the foundations for a strategic energy partnership.”