AMCHAM supported the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) for the ‘U.S. – India Subnational Energy Workshop’ held on Thursday, 2nd November 2017 in New Delhi. The workshop was a first of its kind subnational energy dialogue between the United States and India. During this workshop states came together and discussed how they can ready themselves to develop a grid of the future.

The first session of workshop was on ‘Powering the Grid of the Future: Key Technologies’ and opening remarks were made by Mr. Kartikeya Singh, Deputy Director and Fellow, Wadhwani Chair in U.S. – India Policy Studies, CSIS and he introduced speakers for the session, Mr. Krishan Dhawan, CEO, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Mr. Ajay Misra, Principal Secretary, Department of Power, Government of Telangana, Ms. Jane Epperson, Senior Energy Policy Specialist , Division of Energy, Government of Missouri, and Mr. B.B. Mehta, Chief Engineer, State Load Dispatch Center, Government of Gujarat. Other speakers were Mr. Mashal Dhawan, Chief Marketing Officer, Smart Energy Water, Mr. Owen Zinaman, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Mr. Paul Cark, Senior Advisor, International Programs, National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA). The session focused on the experience of key stakeholders and their perspectives in trying to deploy the key technologies in states which stand out as critical for the creation of the new grid, decentralized and large grid-tied renewable energy, smart power technologies, and energy storage technologies. State representatives also shared their insight on complex issues and challenges which they are currently facing in the energy sector.

The second session started with a discussion on managing the grid of the future with representatives from states including Mr. Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GOI, Ms. Sangeeta Singh, Director UPNEDA, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Robert Jackson, Director, Michigan Agency for Energy, Government of Michigan, Dr. M. Saikumar, Chief Managing Director, TANGEDCO, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Ken Curry, Vice President, Customer & Corporate Services, Nebraska Public Power District, Mr. Praveer Sinha, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, Mr. Fred Walti, Founder, Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator and Ms. Rebecca Kiernan, Senior Resilience Office, City of Pittsburgh. In this session, the focus of discussion was to understand the role of various stakeholders in designing new collaborative framework to support technology innovation and diffusion in addition to supporting existing institutions which are struggling to manage the transition to a grid of the future. The workshop concluded with vote of thanks from Mr. Richard M. Rossow, Senior Advisor and Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies, CSIS and followed by a networking dinner.