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US–India partnership announces USD$30 million expansion to advance clean energy research

www.energy.gov

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2016

Abstract

Type
Article Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

Building on US international partnerships to accelerate electric grid modernization, research, and deployment, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability has announced a new Funding Opportunity Announcement for joint research on smart grid and energy storage under the US–India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research (PACE-R).

The DOE and the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) are each committing $1.5 million per year for five years to the expanded research effort, subject to congressional appropriations. The US and Indian private sectors will match the respective government commitments, resulting in a combined $30 million public–private research investment over the next five years.

“Smart grid and storage technology will transform how we produce and consume electricity, which has the potential to decrease carbon pollution by scaling up renewable energy deployment,” said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “Working collaboratively with India will accelerate solutions to drive down technology costs and improve grid resilience and reliability in both countries.”

The United States and India launched PACE in 2009 to support research and deployment of clean energy technologies. In 2012, DOE and MST committed to jointly funding research—in a program named PACE-R—with a combined $50 million in government funding over five years to launch three initial research consortia, focusing on solar energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and next-generation biofuels.

The current expansion provides resources for a fourth consortium under PACE-R that will focus on smart grid and energy storage for grid applications. The new consortium will enable counterparts in the United States and India to leverage the technological research capabilities of both countries. The new consortium will be officially established when an award selection is made—anticipated in 2017.