Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021
This bill establishes the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership and addresses related issues.
The partnership shall serve as the primary forum and funding mechanism for U.S.-India cooperation on clean energy technology matters.
The Department of State must report to Congress a comprehensive multiyear strategy for implementing the partnership.
The bill requires programs to promote U.S.-India partnerships in (1) research and innovation for clean energy technologies, (2) initiatives for providing technical assistance for grid improvement and energy efficiency in India, and (3) initiatives to develop new renewable energy generation capacity in India.
The U.S. Agency for International Development must work cooperatively with India's government on integrating scientifically supported climate change risk reduction and building resilience capacities in India.
The State Department must report to Congress on the prospects for cooperation between U.S. states and states in India on clean energy issues.
To establish the United States-India Climate and Clean Energy 
   Partnership to facilitate clean energy cooperation with India, to 
 enhance cooperation with India on climate mitigation, resilience, and 
                  adaptation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Prioritizing Clean 
Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Sense of Congress on climate and clean energy cooperation with 
                            India.
Sec. 5. Statement of policy.
Sec. 6. Purposes.
Sec. 7. Establishment of United States-India Climate and Clean Energy 
                            Partnership.
Sec. 8. Strategy for implementation of the United States-India Climate 
                            and Clean Energy Partnership.
Sec. 9. Partnerships for cooperation on research and innovation for 
                            clean energy technologies.
Sec. 10. Initiatives for technical assistance for grid improvement and 
                            energy efficiency in India.
Sec. 11. Initiatives for generation of new renewable energy in India.
Sec. 12. Report on promotion of State-State clean energy cooperation.
Sec. 13. United States-India climate change risk reduction and 
                            resilience cooperation.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) India is the second most populous country in the world 
        with a population of approximately 1,334,000,000 people and is 
        the fifth largest economy in the world with a nominal gross 
        domestic product of approximately $2,940,000,000,000.
            (2) India is among the countries most vulnerable to climate 
        change, with hundreds of millions of people susceptible to 
        events exacerbated by climate change, such as the spread of 
        infectious diseases, sea level rise and extreme flooding, 
        droughts, storms, and landslides triggered by extreme weather.
            (3) India releases approximately 2,500,000,000 tons (carbon 
        dioxide equivalent) of greenhouse gases annually, making it the 
        third largest greenhouse gas emitter after the People's 
        Republic of China and the United States.
            (4) India is one of the largest energy markets in the world 
        and is projected to be the largest source of global energy 
        demand growth through 2040. Installed power capacity in India 
        more than doubled between 2011 and 2021.
            (5) Per capita energy consumption in India is relatively 
        low among emerging economic powers.
            (6) Reliable access to power is crucial for the storage of 
        vaccines and antiretroviral and other lifesaving medical drugs, 
        as well as for the operation of modern lifesaving medical 
        equipment.
            (7) Access to power can also provide improved information 
        and communication technologies that can greatly improve health 
        and education outcomes, as well as economic and commercial 
        opportunities.
            (8) In 2000, only 43 percent of the population of India had 
        access to power. That percentage more than doubled between 2000 
        and 2020, with approximately 700,000,000 people in India 
        gaining access to electricity during that period.
            (9) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized improving 
        citizen access to electricity and electrifying every household 
        in India.
            (10) The Power for All initiative of the Government of 
        India aims to provide electricity to all households in India 24 
        hours a day, 7 days a week.
            (11) Without action, climate change threatens to push 
        millions more people into poverty. Investments in clean energy 
        offer an opportunity to curb climate change while combatting 
        poverty and increasing capacity to respond to the impacts of 
        climate change.
            (12) As of June 2020, coal makes up the largest domestic 
        source of energy supply and electricity generation for India. 
        In October 2020, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 
        reported that renewable energy comprises approximately 12 
        percent of energy generation in India.
            (13) India imports 80 percent of its oil needs, and that 
        amount is projected to increase in the coming decades due to 
        aging oil fields and a lack of new oil discoveries in India. 
        India is increasing its oil refining capacity to maintain 
        supply to meet the rising domestic demand for energy.
            (14) India is projected to surpass the People's Republic of 
        China in oil consumption by 2030.
            (15) On September 22, 2020, the People's Republic of China 
        announced a pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060 
        in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris 
        Agreement, done at Paris December 12, 2015, but given the need 
        to accelerate the reduction of global emissions along a 2050 
        timeline, that pledge is insufficient to avoid an increase of 2 
        degrees Celsius in the global average temperature.
            (16) India, in contrast, is demonstrating that climate 
        action is a priority through concrete steps including a climate 
        plan compatible with the goal of limiting global average 
        temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.
            (17) India's unconditional emissions target, as outlined in 
        the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution of India to the 
        Paris Agreement, aims to reduce emissions intensity of gross 
        domestic product by 33 percent to 35 percent below 2005 levels 
        by 2030.
            (18) In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, 
        India has also pledged to increase the share of its installed 
        electricity capacity that comes from non-fossil fuel sources to 
        40 percent by 2030 and create an additional 2,500,000,000 to 
        3,000,000,000 tons of carbon sinks.
            (19) In 2019, Prime Minister Modi announced an ambitious 
        domestic target of installing 450 gigawatts of renewable energy 
        capacity by 2030.
            (20) India is among the top 5 clean energy producers 
        globally. Installed electricity capacity from renewables in 
        India grew by 144 percent from 2014 to 2020, and between 2014 
        and 2019 there was approximately $42,000,000,000 in investment 
        in the renewable energy sector in India.
            (21) Numerous global funds, private equity firms, and 
        multilateral finance institutions are continuing to invest 
        billions of dollars in the growing renewable energy sector in 
        India.
            (22) India leads the International Solar Alliance, a 75-
        country initiative to which the United States does not yet 
        belong, to mobilize $1,000,000,000,000 in solar energy 
        investment by 2030.
            (23) Increased ownership of appliances and cooling needs 
        could lead to a doubling or even tripling of energy use in 
        India by 2040. One billion air conditioning units are expected 
        to be in use in India by 2050.
            (24) Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on 
        Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, done at Montreal 
        September 16, 1987, India has agreed to freeze its 
        manufacturing and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons in 2028.
            (25) In 2005, the United States and India established a 
        formal energy cooperation dialogue, the United States-India 
        Energy Dialogue, which included engagement on clean, low carbon 
        technologies. In 2009, the United States and India expanded the 
        United States-India Energy Dialogue to advance clean and 
        sustainable energy development. The expansion in 2009 included 
        the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy initiative focusing on 
        research into, deployment of, and access to clean energy.
            (26) The Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research 
        element of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy initiative, 
        commonly referred to as ``PACE-R'', consists of research 
        consortia under the Joint Clean Energy Research and Development 
        Center launched in 2010 by the Department of Energy and the 
        Government of India with support from the private sector. PACE-
        R has focused on solar power, advanced biofuels, energy 
        efficiency in buildings, and smart grids and energy storage.
            (27) The Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Deployment 
        element of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy initiative, 
        commonly referred to as ``PACE-D'', funds programs to improve 
        energy efficiency, grid connectivity, clean energy finance, and 
        more.
            (28) The Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Access element 
        of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy initiative, commonly 
        referred to as ``PEACE'', has focused on finance and technology 
        innovation, skills development, and ecosystem strengthening for 
        clean energy.
            (29) In 2015, the United States and India launched the 
        U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force, which draws on the 
        finance expertise of the governments and private sectors of 
        both countries to tailor business and finance models to scale 
        India's clean energy sector.
            (30) Since 2015, the United States has supported the 
        Partnership for Climate Resilience, which links United States 
        Government climate scientists with their counterparts in India 
        to produce climate data and information to inform local 
        decisionmakers.
            (31) In 2018, the United States Government established the 
        Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy 
        initiative, commonly referred to as ``Asia EDGE'', to support 
        sustainable and secure energy markets throughout the Indo-
        Pacific. Asia EDGE integrates elements of the Partnership to 
        Advance Clean Energy initiative along with new programs such as 
        the South Asia Group for Energy.
            (32) In 2018, the governments of India and the United 
        States elevated the energy partnership to the U.S.-India 
        Strategic Energy Partnership to advance energy security, expand 
        energy innovation, and increase stakeholder engagement. That 
        partnership included pillars of cooperation on power and energy 
        efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable growth, and oil and 
        gas. The governments of India and the United States also 
        continued clean energy research and development under the 
        Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research.
            (33) In 2021, the United States Government, through the 
        United States Agency for International Development, awarded 
        approximately $9,200,000 to support the Coalition for Disaster 
        Resilient Infrastructure, which the Government of India 
        launched in September 2019 at the United Nations Climate Action 
        Summit.
            (34) In 2021, at the Leaders Summit on Climate, the United 
        States and India launched the U.S.-India Climate and Clean 
        Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership to mobilize finance toward and 
        accelerate clean energy deployment, demonstrate and scale 
        innovative clean technologies, and build capacity to measure, 
        manage, and adapt to the risks of climate-related impacts. The 
        Partnership has two main tracks, the Strategic Clean Energy 
        Partnership (led by the Department of Energy) and the Climate 
        Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (led by the Office of 
        the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate), which build on and 
        subsume previous, aforementioned processes.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Clean energy technology.--The term ``clean energy 
        technology'' means a technology related to the production, use, 
        transmission and distribution, storage, control, or 
        conservation of energy that will contribute to the 
        stabilization of the climate by reducing greenhouse gas 
        emissions or sequestering or using carbon dioxide and--
                    (A) reduces the need for additional energy supplies 
                by using existing energy supplies with greater 
                efficiency; or
                    (B) increases and diversifies the sources of energy 
                in a manner that will--
                            (i) reduce risk to human health, safety, 
                        and welfare and the environment; and
                            (ii) strengthen energy security.
            (4) Secretary.--Except as otherwise specifically provided, 
        the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY COOPERATION WITH 
              INDIA.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) robust cooperation on the development and deployment of 
        clean energy technologies should be a priority in relations 
        between the United States and India and the top priority in the 
        countries' energy diplomacy;
            (2) the collaboration of the United States and India on the 
        development and deployment of clean energy technologies has 
        resulted in innovative new technologies that have helped 
        significantly lower the carbon emissions of the power sector in 
        India;
            (3) demand for energy in India will increase with the 
        expansion of the economy and middle class of India, and it is 
        in the interest of United States national security and global 
        security for the United States to support India in growing the 
        energy sector of India in environmentally and socially 
        responsible ways that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and 
        improve the climate and energy security of India;
            (4) the United States and India should continue 
        collaborating on research and development of new clean energy 
        technologies, as well as deployment of clean energy 
        technologies, so people across India can access power generated 
        from clean energy technologies and to help decarbonize India's 
        entire energy sector;
            (5) the United States, through the Bureau of Energy 
        Resources of the Department of State, the United States 
        International Development Finance Corporation, the Department 
        of Energy, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the 
        International Trade Administration, and the United States 
        Agency for International Development, should encourage private 
        sector investment in and financing for the development and 
        deployment of clean energy technologies in India;
            (6) the United States should support the Power for All 
        initiative created by the Government of India through technical 
        and other forms of assistance;
            (7) the United States should support the ambitious 
        renewable energy generation goals set by the Government of 
        India through technical and other forms of assistance;
            (8) Mission Innovation, in which India plays a critical 
        leadership role, represents an unmatched opportunity to make 
        clean energy technologies more affordable and accessible by 
        increasing funding for clean energy innovation;
            (9) the United States should increase its participation in 
        and contributions to Mission Innovation;
            (10) the International Solar Alliance led by India will 
        play a key role in mobilizing significant international 
        investment in solar energy;
            (11) the United States should join and contribute to the 
        International Solar Alliance led by India;
            (12) India has implemented several new policies to promote 
        the production and use of electric vehicles in India;
            (13) the United States should promote research, 
        development, and private sector cooperation with India on the 
        production of electric vehicles and the planning and execution 
        of an expansive charging station network to support extensive 
        use of electric vehicles;
            (14) increased demand for refrigeration and air 
        conditioning in India, and the adoption of the Kigali Amendment 
        to the Montreal Protocol, done at Montreal September 16, 1987, 
        are driving innovation and investments in next-generation 
        refrigeration equipment and refrigerants in India; and
            (15) enhanced United States-India bilateral cooperation and 
        engagement on the development of technologies and chemicals 
        that are compliant with the Kigali Amendment are in the 
        interest of United States industry leaders in the refrigeration 
        and chemical coolant industries.

SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to increase engagement and 
cooperation with the Government of India, the Indian diaspora community 
in the United States, and the private sector and civil society in both 
the United States and India in a concerted effort--
            (1) to support the ambitious goals of India--
                    (A) to expand renewable energy production and the 
                optimal integration of renewable energy into a 
                flexible, resilient electrical grid in India; and
                    (B) to provide reliable and affordable access to 
                electricity for all communities;
            (2) to help improve the energy security of India and 
        decrease the dependence of India on imported fossil fuels;
            (3) to foster innovation through academic and research 
        partnerships and mutually beneficial arrangements relating to 
        technology transfers and protection of intellectual property;
            (4) to facilitate United States private sector investment 
        in projects to expand power transmission and distribution 
        capacity, energy storage, and territorial coverage in India to 
        increase the number of people, households, and communities with 
        access to power;
            (5) to provide technical assistance and advice as 
        appropriate, and solely at the request and with the consent of 
        the relevant national and local authorities and stakeholders, 
        on--
                    (A) reforms of power production, delivery, and 
                pricing;
                    (B) reducing aggregate technical and commercial 
                energy losses in India's energy transmission and 
                distribution systems;
                    (C) regulatory reforms; and
                    (D) long-term, market-based power generation and 
                distribution;
            (6) to support efforts to lower India's greenhouse gas 
        emissions and increase adaptive capacity by promoting United 
        States private investment in--
                    (A) renewable energy production;
                    (B) electric vehicle technology;
                    (C) energy efficiency in appliances, buildings, and 
                the industrial sector;
                    (D) technologies to decarbonize the industrial and 
                transport sectors in which emissions are hard to abate;
                    (E) technologies and infrastructure modifications 
                to improve the efficiency and resilience of existing 
                electricity generation units; and
                    (F) electricity transmission and distribution 
                projects to improve--
                            (i) the affordability of electricity;
                            (ii) grid reliability, efficiency, 
                        flexibility, digitalization, and resilience to 
                        climate impacts;
                            (iii) the number of citizens and households 
                        with access to electricity;
                            (iv) rural electrification; and
                            (v) electric vehicle charging 
                        infrastructure; and
            (7) to strengthen India's resilience capacities that ensure 
        people, households, communities, institutions, and systems can 
        assess, anticipate, reduce, adapt to, respond to, and recover 
        from shocks and stresses associated with the effects of climate 
        change.

SEC. 6. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to advance cooperation between the United States and 
        India on, and private sector engagement and investment in, the 
        development and deployment of clean energy technologies, and 
        improvement in the planning, reliability, flexibility, and 
        resilience of India's electrical grid to integrate increasing 
        use of renewable energy;
            (2) to improve research collaborations that develop and 
        deploy innovative clean energy technologies in India;
            (3) to enhance citizen access to electricity across India; 
        and
            (4) to build capacity to measure, manage, and adapt to the 
        risks of climate-related impacts.

SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES-INDIA CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY 
              PARTNERSHIP.

    (a) In General.--The purposes described in section 6 shall be 
advanced through the development and execution of bilateral initiatives 
under an initiative to be known as the ``United States-India Climate 
and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership'' (in this Act referred to as 
the ``United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership'').
    (b) Functions.--The United States-India Climate and Clean Energy 
Partnership shall serve as--
            (1) the primary forum for cooperation between the United 
        States and India on clean energy technologies; and
            (2) the mechanism through which such cooperation is funded.

SEC. 8. STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES-INDIA CLIMATE 
              AND CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIP.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive, integrated, 
multi-year strategy for implementing the United States-India Climate 
and Clean Energy Partnership.
    (b) Flexibility and Responsiveness.--The strategy required by 
subsection (a) shall maintain sufficient flexibility and responsiveness 
to technological innovation with respect to climate and clean energy in 
India.
    (c) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) a general description, developed in collaboration with 
        the Government of India and local and regional authorities in 
        India, of the goals and ongoing efforts in India--
                    (A) to increase power production;
                    (B) to build and maintain climate resilient 
                electrical transmission and distribution 
                infrastructure;
                    (C) to expand electrical transmission and 
                distribution infrastructure in order to provide 
                equitable household and community access to 
                electricity;
                    (D) to implement regulatory reform, regional 
                interoperability, and transparent and accountable 
                governance and oversight;
                    (E) to strengthen the reliability and regional 
                interoperability of the electrical grid; and
                    (F) for electricity service providers--
                            (i) to provide affordable and reliable 
                        power;
                            (ii) to reduce technical and nontechnical 
                        losses;
                            (iii) to collect fees for services; and
                            (iv) to expand service to underserved 
                        communities;
                    (G) to advance energy efficiency in appliances, 
                buildings, and the industrial sector; and
                    (H) to advance decarbonization across the energy 
                sector of India, including in transport and heavy 
                industry;
            (2) an assessment of how the initiatives included in the 
        United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership will 
        support achievement of the clean energy and expanded energy 
        access goals of India, including--
                    (A) an analysis of--
                            (i) the flexibility and carrying capacity 
                        of India's electrical grid to better integrate 
                        renewable energy generation; and
                            (ii) the state of distributed renewable 
                        energy in India;
                    (B) a description of market barriers to the 
                deployment of clean energy technologies, including 
                distributed renewable energy technologies both on- and 
                off-grid in India;
                    (C) an analysis of the efficacy of efforts by the 
                Department of State, the Office of the United States 
                Trade Representative, the United States International 
                Development Finance Corporation, and the United States 
                Agency for International Development to facilitate the 
                financing of the deployment, importation, distribution, 
                sale, leasing, or marketing of clean energy 
                technologies in India; and
                    (D) a description of how bolstering distributed 
                renewable energy can enhance the overall effort to 
                increase power access in India;
            (3) a description of programs or initiatives in existence 
        as of the date of the submittal of the strategy that--
                    (A) meet the requirements for initiatives under 
                sections 9 through 11; and
                    (B) can be integrated into the United States-India 
                Climate and Clean Energy Partnership;
            (4) a list of programs in existence as of the date of the 
        submittal of the strategy that will be integrated into the 
        United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership;
            (5) recommendations on the establishment of any new 
        programs to meet the requirements for initiatives under 
        sections 9 through 11; and
            (6) a plan describing which parts of the United States 
        Government shall serve as the lead for which components of the 
        United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.

SEC. 9. PARTNERSHIPS FOR COOPERATION ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR 
              CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is--
            (1) to promote and accelerate the pace of innovation and 
        deployment of clean energy technologies;
            (2) to expand community and household access to power in 
        India; and
            (3) to facilitate demonstration projects of new, innovative 
        clean energy technologies.
    (b) Research and Development Partnerships.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
        Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, and with the 
        cooperation of the Government of India, shall promote 
        partnerships between United States clean energy centers of 
        excellence designated under paragraph (4) and partner entities 
        in India described in paragraph (5) on research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application of clean energy 
        technologies.
            (2) Exchanges; sharing.--The partnerships described in 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) exchanges between United States clean energy 
                centers of excellence designated under paragraph (4) 
                and partner entities in India described in paragraph 
                (5); and
                    (B) lawful sharing of intellectual property between 
                the United States and India, including between private 
                sector entities in the two countries, with respect to--
                            (i) clean energy technology, including 
                        carbon capture technologies;
                            (ii) air conditioning technology; and
                            (iii) refrigeration systems technology.
            (3) Functions.--United States clean energy centers of 
        excellence designated under paragraph (4), in collaboration 
        with partner entities in India described in paragraph (5), 
        shall be responsible for--
                    (A) assessing different potential technological, 
                development, policy, and technical solutions to address 
                capacity constraints affecting the development and 
                deployment of existing and emerging energy technology 
                in India, consistent with the lawful sharing of 
                intellectual property described in paragraph (2)(B);
                    (B) facilitating engagements between energy 
                authorities in India and private sector clean energy 
                technology suppliers and project developers that could 
                provide solutions to energy capacity challenges;
                    (C) ensuring that local stakeholders and host 
                communities in India where energy projects supported by 
                partnerships under this section are being developed are 
                adequately engaged and given due consideration in the 
                development of such projects;
                    (D) arranging for the appropriate and lawful 
                sharing of prototyping, technology transfer activities, 
                and production facilities for clean energy 
                technologies, including assistance to clean energy 
                technology start-up ventures;
                    (E) promoting job training opportunities in the 
                deployment and operation of clean energy technologies 
                and energy transmission; and
                    (F) performing such other duties as determined by 
                the Secretary in coordination with the Secretary of 
                Energy.
            (4) United states clean energy centers of excellence.--
                    (A) Designation.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary, in 
                        consultation with the Secretary of Energy, 
                        shall designate not more than 10 eligible 
                        entities to be United States clean energy 
                        centers of excellence.
                            (ii) Limitation.--Not more than \1/3\ of 
                        the total number of eligible entities 
                        designated under clause (i) may be National 
                        Laboratories.
                    (B) Eligible entities.--For purposes of this 
                section, an ``eligible entity'' is--
                            (i) an institution of higher education; or
                            (ii) a National Laboratory.
                    (C) Applications by institutions of higher 
                education.--An institution of higher education seeking 
                designation as a United States clean energy center of 
                excellence under this paragraph shall submit an 
                application to the Secretary containing, at a minimum, 
                the following:
                            (i) A description of all entities within 
                        the institution that would comprise the United 
                        States clean energy center of excellence (in 
                        this subparagraph referred to as ``component 
                        entities'').
                            (ii) Any appropriate information on the 
                        qualifications of individuals in key management 
                        positions in the institution and the component 
                        entities.
                            (iii) A full description of the governance 
                        structure and management processes of the 
                        institution and the component entities, 
                        including a conflict of interest policy.
                            (iv) A description of the policies and 
                        procedures of the institution and the component 
                        entities for managing new intellectual property 
                        created by a partnership under this section.
                            (v) A description of how the institution 
                        would carry out the functions described in 
                        paragraph (3).
                            (vi) Recommendations on--
                                    (I) the scope of work for the 
                                initial year of activities of the 
                                institution under the United States-
                                India Climate and Clean Energy 
                                Partnership; and
                                    (II) focuses for future 
                                programming.
                    (D) Selection process.--The Secretary, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall select 
                eligible entities for designation as United States 
                clean energy centers of excellence under this paragraph 
                through an open and competitive process.
                    (E) Selection criteria.--The Secretary, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall 
                establish criteria for selecting United States clean 
                energy centers of excellence based on--
                            (i) an evaluation of--
                                    (I) the strength of the governance 
                                structure of an eligible entity and the 
                                entities within the eligible entity 
                                that would comprise the United States 
                                clean energy center of excellence;
                                    (II) the expertise and experience 
                                of key research management and academic 
                                personnel of an eligible entity;
                                    (III) the demonstrated knowledge of 
                                an eligible entity with respect to--
                                            (aa) energy markets in 
                                        India;
                                            (bb) regulatory frameworks 
                                        and energy policies in India;
                                            (cc) power service 
                                        providers in India;
                                            (dd) applied energy 
                                        technologies in India; and
                                            (ee) energy challenges, 
                                        including capacity constraints, 
                                        in India; and
                                    (IV) the capability of an eligible 
                                entity to conduct regional energy 
                                market analyses and assessments of the 
                                practicality of applying various clean 
                                energy technologies to address various 
                                energy challenges in India;
                            (ii) commitments of co-funding from non-
                        Federal sources;
                            (iii) the capability of an eligible entity 
                        to attract matching funds from both non-Federal 
                        and nongovernmental sources for follow-on 
                        investments in widespread application of 
                        successful projects; and
                            (iv) the capability and experience of an 
                        eligible entity in managing technology transfer 
                        programs.
                    (F) Selection priority.--The Secretary, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall select 
                eligible entities for designation as United States 
                clean energy centers of excellence under this paragraph 
                in a manner that represents the geographic diversity of 
                the United States.
            (5) Partner institutions in india.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation 
                with the Secretary of Energy, and in collaboration with 
                the appropriate ministries of the Government of India, 
                shall support the establishment of partnerships between 
                United States clean energy centers of excellence 
                designated under paragraph (4) and partner entities in 
                India.
                    (B) Eligibility and selection.--The Secretary shall 
                encourage the Government of India to select partner 
                entities described in subparagraph (A) for 
                participation in partnerships under this section based 
                on criteria similar to the criteria for eligibility and 
                selection of United States clean energy centers of 
                excellence described in paragraph (4).
                    (C) Pairing.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
                the Secretary of Energy, and in collaboration with the 
                relevant ministries of the Government of India, shall 
                pair selected United States clean energy centers of 
                excellence designated under paragraph (4) and partner 
                entities in India according to the strength and 
                similarities of the respective applications.
            (6) Private sector involvement.--United States clean energy 
        centers of excellence participating in partnerships under this 
        section are encouraged to, in collaboration with their 
        respective partner entities in India under paragraph (5)--
                    (A) collaborate with private sector energy and 
                technology companies; and
                    (B) identify private sector entities that will 
                contribute resources to the initiatives and projects 
                developed through partnerships under this section.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (2) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for the 
        Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center established 
        by the Department of Energy and the Government of India.
            (2) Use of funds.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated 
        under paragraph (1) may be used only for clean energy projects.
    (e) United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.--All 
initiatives established or continued under the authorities of this 
section shall be part of the United States-India Climate and Clean 
Energy Partnership.

SEC. 10. INITIATIVES FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRID IMPROVEMENT AND 
              ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN INDIA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, and with the cooperation of 
the Government of India and regional authorities within India, shall 
support initiatives, including new initiatives and initiatives in 
existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act, as appropriate, 
to provide technical assistance and expertise on electrical grid and 
energy efficiency improvements in India for the following purposes:
            (1) Expanding and improving the reliability, flexibility, 
        and resilience of the electrical grid to reach all regions and 
        populations.
            (2) Developing microgrids or distributed energy resources 
        in areas in which connection to the larger electrical grid is 
        challenging.
            (3) Increasing the optimal integration of renewable energy 
        into the electrical grid.
            (4) Enhancing the interconnectivity of electrical grids 
        across States of India.
            (5) Boosting the energy storage capacity of the electrical 
        grid.
            (6) Developing standards for clean energy technologies, 
        smart buildings, and data centers.
            (7) Increasing deployment of smart meters and other energy 
        efficiency technology.
            (8) Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, 
        appliances, and the industrial sector.
            (9) Improving pollution controls and the efficiency of 
        fossil fuel electric generating units.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
    (c) United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.--All 
initiatives established or continued under the authorities of this 
section shall be part of the United States-India Climate and Clean 
Energy Partnership.

SEC. 11. INITIATIVES FOR GENERATION OF NEW RENEWABLE ENERGY IN INDIA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, and with the approval of the 
Government of India, shall support initiatives, including new 
initiatives and initiatives in existence as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act, as appropriate, to develop new renewable energy 
generation capacity in India.
    (b) Selection of Initiatives.--In selecting initiatives to support 
under subsection (a), the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Energy, and in coordination with the Administrator, shall take into 
account the priorities of the Government of India, including such 
government's target of installing 450 gigawatts of renewable energy 
capacity by 2030 and related goals established by the Intended 
Nationally Determined Contribution of India to the Paris Agreement, 
done at Paris December 12, 2015.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
    (d) United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.--All 
initiatives established or continued under the authorities of this 
section shall be part of the United States-India Climate and Clean 
Energy Partnership.

SEC. 12. REPORT ON PROMOTION OF STATE-STATE CLEAN ENERGY COOPERATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the 
Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the prospects for 
cooperation between States of the United States and States of India on 
clean energy.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) an assessment of which areas have the most potential 
        for cooperation between States of the United States and States 
        of India on clean energy technologies, including with respect 
        to--
                    (A) integrating clean energy into State electrical 
                grids;
                    (B) improving the efficiency of State electrical 
                grids;
                    (C) increasing the resiliency of State electrical 
                grids, especially against cyber attacks;
                    (D) improving power transmission and distribution 
                within States;
                    (E) enabling expanded use of electric vehicles;
                    (F) increasing energy efficiency of buildings and 
                methods of transportation; and
                    (G) demonstration projects of new clean energy 
                technologies, including in industrial sectors that are 
                hard to decarbonize;
            (2) an analysis of potential opportunities for cooperation 
        between States of the United States and States of India on the 
        development and deployment of clean energy resources through--
                    (A) Federal Government programs in existence as of 
                the date of the submittal of the report that provide 
                financial support, technical assistance, or other 
                support for subnational cooperation; or
                    (B) any Federal Government forums in existence as 
                of such date to promote subnational communication; and
            (3) recommendations for steps the Federal Government, with 
        the cooperation of the Government of India, can take to promote 
        cooperation between States of the United States and States of 
        India on clean energy, which shall include recommendations on--
                    (A) which programs or forums in existence as of the 
                date of the submittal of the report should be used to 
                promote such cooperation;
                    (B) new programs or forums that could be created to 
                promote such cooperation, and whether the creation of 
                those programs requires additional authorities;
                    (C) what agencies or offices within the Federal 
                Government should lead the implementation of each 
                recommended program or forum;
                    (D) what additional funding would be needed to 
                implement each recommended program or forum; and
                    (E) what role the United States mission to India 
                should play in promoting such cooperation.

SEC. 13. UNITED STATES-INDIA CLIMATE CHANGE RISK REDUCTION AND 
              RESILIENCE COOPERATION.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator, under the direction of the 
Secretary, shall work cooperatively with the Government of India on 
integrating scientifically supported climate change risk reduction and 
building resilience capacities in India.
    (b) Priority.--Advancing the risk reduction and resilience 
capacities described in subsection (a) shall be a priority for United 
States diplomatic, security, and development programs within the United 
States mission to India.
    (c) Support.--The Administrator, under the direction of the 
Secretary, and in coordination with other agencies with direct 
international development programs and investments, shall support 
efforts--
            (1) to bolster resilience capacities to the effects of 
        climate change in India by supporting efforts in India to help 
        ensure that climate risk assessments and security planning in 
        India adequately evaluate and account for risks and 
        vulnerabilities associated with the effects of climate change 
        using best-available climate change data, forecasts, tools, and 
        information;
            (2) to use shared knowledge, data, forecasts, tools, 
        information, frameworks, and lessons learned in incorporating 
        climate change resilience programming, planning, projects, 
        investments, and related funding decisions; and
            (3) to work with civil society and local leaders, as 
        appropriate--
                    (A) to identify risks associated with the effects 
                of climate change in India; and
                    (B) to encourage and support efforts in India to 
                enhance resilience to the effects of climate change.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Agencies with direct international development programs 
        and investments.--The term ``agencies with direct international 
        development programs and investments'' includes--
                    (A) the Department of State;
                    (B) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (C) the Department of the Interior;
                    (D) the United States Agency for International 
                Development;
                    (E) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
                    (F) the United States International Development 
                Finance Corporation; and
                    (G) the Trade and Development Agency.
            (2) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability 
        of an individual, household, community, country, or region to 
        withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from shocks and 
        stresses associated with the effects of climate change.
                                 <all>
Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021
A bill to establish the United States-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership to facilitate clean energy cooperation with India, to enhance cooperation with India on climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation, and for other purposes.
Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021
Sen. Menendez, Robert