India signs MoU with Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Joint Business Council to further promoteadoption of energy efficiency and sustainable practices in the region; Next ETWG Meeting scheduled early April in Gandhinagar.

The two-day deliberations of the first G20 Energy Transitions Working Group concluded successfully in Bengaluru today with shared views and consensus on priority areas.

Talking to media persons on the second day's proceedings Shri Alok Kumar, Secretary (Power) said that the member countries responded positively to the need for energy security and diversified supply chains. Participants, however, shared the view that the energy transition pathway should be different for each country depending on its energy base and potential. There emerged a clear understanding that fossil fuels would continue to be used more or less in most of the countries in the coming 15 to 20 years to increase the share of renewal energy, he said.

The Power Secretary said, it was appreciated that grid inter-connections like India is promoting under "One Sun, One World, One Grid"  can lead  to better utilisation of available energy sources amongst member countries without  much storage capacity. Deliberations stressed the need to  focus  more on energy efficiency of industries.

As regards the session on Universal Access to Clean Energy, Shri Alok Kumar said, deliberations stressed the need to manage fuel prices and choice of technology to see that everyone on the planet has access to affordable energy. Member countries favoured a people-centric energy transition mechanism, he added.

Delegates complimented India for the mission-mode implementation of  Soubhagya, Ujala and Ujjwal energy schemes that led to complete access to electricity, clean cooking and efficient lighting.The Power Secretary informed that the next ETWG  meeting is scheduled in the first week of April in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

On the side-lines, India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Joint Business Council (IMT-GT JBC), Malaysia to further promote the adoption of energy efficiency and sustainable practices in the region. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry of Power, signed the  (MoU) with the IMT-GT JBC Malaysia coinciding with the India Energy Week celebrations.

As part of this strategic partnership, EESL will provide technical advisory, project management support, contracting and implementation support to execute select energy efficiency programmes from its portfolio with proven track records of successful implementation.

Delegates were taken to Infosis Green Buildings Campus in the city today. Tomorrow, a visit to the Pavagada solar plant will be arranged.

The three-day event got underway yesterday with the key-note address by Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R.K. Singh.  Over 150 delegates including G20 countries and nine special invitee guest countries participated  besides  the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and many other international organisations.

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