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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 000453 
 
SENSTIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/FO, OES/PCI, OES/EGC, EEB/ESC, AND SCA/INS 
DEPT OF ENERGY FOR TCUTLER, DCOLOMBO, MGINSBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG PREL TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG BEXP IN
SUBJECT: OES ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY HARNISH ENGAGES GOVERNMENT 
OF INDIA ON IREC 2010 
 
A) NEW DELHI 03663, B) NEW DELHI 0226, 
C) 2008 NEW DELHI 2386, D) 2008 NEW DELHI 2998, 
E) 2008 NEW DELHI 1498 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Oceans, Environment and Sciences Bureau (OES) OES 
Acting Assistant Secretary Reno Harnish lead a multi-stakeholder 
delegation to New Delhi to engage GOI ministries on the lessons 
learned from the 2008 Washington International Renewable Energy 
Conference (WIREC) in order to support the GOI effort to host the 
2010 International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) in New Delhi. 
The GOI has scheduled IREC 2010 for February 17-19, 2010 and has 
just begun preliminary preparations.  The GOI warmly welcomed the 
delegation's input which clearly provided a much needed kick-start 
to GOI planning.  Officials of the several other energy ministries 
and Ministry of External Affairs stated that they would actively 
support IREC-2010 under the lead of the Ministry of New and 
Renewable Energy (MNRE).  MNRE Secretary Gupta said the GOI is 
strongly interested in IREC-2010 covering biomass, waste-to-energy, 
solar, city-to-city partnerships, rural impact, grid connectivity, 
and workable business models for promoting renewable energy and 
energy efficiency. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) On March 2 and 3, 2009, Ambassador Harnish; Virginia 
Sonntag-O'Brien, Head of Secretariat, Renewable Energy Policy 
Network 21 (REN21); and Griffin Thompson, Senior Energy Advisor; met 
with six GOI ministries and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), 
held a roundtable for private sector renewable energy companies, and 
attended a dinner for the California Energy Commission sponsored by 
a forum of Indian electricity regulators.  The delegation delivered 
detailed presentations on the lessons learned from the 2008 WIREC, 
attended by over 9000 people from 125 countries -- as well as from 
the 2004 Bonn Renewable Conference and 2005 Beijing International 
Renewable Energy Conference.  The delegation provided Indian 
interlocutors with suggestions for the Indian IREC 2010.  The 
delegation was joined at certain meetings by representatives of the 
German government -- led by Ernst Stoeckl-Pukall, Economic and 
Commercial Counselor, FRG Embassy in New Delhi -- who indicated 
their strong support for IREC 2010. 
 
¶3. (U) Government of India participants included: 
 
-- Ms. Gauri Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable 
Energy (MNRE); 
-- Mr. Deepak Gupta, Secretary, MNRE; 
-- Mr. S. Sudareshan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum 
and Natural Gas (MPNG); 
-- Mr. Apurva Chandra, Joint Secretary, MPNG; 
-- Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency 
(BEE), Ministry of Power; 
-- Mr. Gireesh B. Pradhan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power; 
-- Mr. Virendra Gupta, Additional Secretary (Investment and Trade 
Policy and Energy Security), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); 
-- Dr. S.P. Seth, Special Secretary, Ministry of Coal; 
-- Mr. Pravat Mandal, Advisor, Ministry of Coal; 
-- Mr. R.R. Rashmi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and 
Forests (MoEF). 
 
MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY (MNRE) HAS LEAD 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (U) MNRE Joint Secretary Ms. Gauri Singh has been tasked with 
overall coordination for IREC 2010.  At her solo meeting with the 
delegation on March 2, she stated that the upcoming general election 
in India scheduled for April and May, 2009 will not have an impact 
on India's commitment towards renewable energy or to hosting IREC 
¶2010.  She confirmed that the conference has been scheduled for 
February 17-19, 2010 with a venue site at the India Expo Centre 
located in Greater Noida, which is about 40 minutes drive time 
southeast of New Delhi.  The GOI recently held its first 
inter-ministerial meeting on IREC 2010 and has chosen McKinsey & 
Company as its knowledge partner, she said.  MNRE director Rajiv 
Arora told us they are still in the process of identifying an agency 
to manage the logistics for of IREC. 
 
¶5.  (U) J/S Singh informed the delegation that MNRE will start 
working on the themes for IREC 2010 and intends to have a general 
framework prepared and circulated by the end of March.  She said 
that -- since renewable energy (RE) in India is private sector 
driven -- the MNRE wants the main theme for IREC 2010 to be 
discussion of successful business models that promote adoption, 
 
NEW DELHI 00000453  002 OF 004 
 
 
scaling-up, technology transfer, and private investments in 
renewable energy. Coupled with the business model theme would be 
discussion of types of central and local government policy 
interventions that promote such viable private sector models. 
Government policy to encourage research and development on renewable 
energy is another potential theme, she said.  J/S Singh welcomed the 
delegation's suggestion to involve local municipalities, state 
electricity regulators, and local leaders to champion the RE cause 
because RE policy, although driven by the central government, is 
implemented at local levels.  J/S Singh said MNRE seeks broad 
participation from developing countries and she discussed funding 
options for their participation.  Ambassador Harnish explained that 
he had sought and obtained international scholarships from developed 
countries to pay travel expenses for less developed countries to 
WIREC in 2008. 
 
¶6. (SBU) J/S Singh indicated the issue of pledges regarding 
voluntary commitments to adopt RE -- over 140 of which were made at 
WIREC including 31 from the USG -- was sensitive within the GOI as 
there was concern that pledges made at WIREC 208 or IREC 2010 may 
impact climate negotiations under the UNFCCC.  She asked the 
delegation to raise the pledge issue with her superior, MNRE 
Secretary Deepak Gupta, along with a proposal to utilize the REN21 
Steering Committee as the international advisory board for planning 
IREC 2010 and a suggestion to change the dates of the Indian IREC to 
piggy-back on to R.K. Pachauri's Delhi Sustainable Development 
Summit scheduled for February 4-6, 2010. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The delegation met with MNRE Secretary Gupta with J/S Singh 
later on March 2.  Ambassador Harnish gave his presentation on WIREC 
noting: the importance of inter-agency cooperation; the utility of a 
global business conference held alongside the plenary session, which 
allowed ministers and businessmen to interact and discuss both 
policy and technology; and the importance of early engagement with 
NGO and industry partners.  He stressed to Secretary Gupta that the 
most significant lesson learned from WIREC was the need to determine 
an agenda and to lock in key speakers as early as possible.  The 
WIREC agenda had not been finalized until four months before the 
conference and it would have been greatly beneficial to have 
finalized it earlier, Ambassador Harnish said. 
 
¶8. (SBU) MNRE Secretary Gupta indicated he wanted IREC 2010 to focus 
on small-scale biomass power generation of around 100 kilowatts.  He 
stated that he did not want to have IREC 2010 associated in any way 
with the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit -- stressing that IREC 
would focus solely on promoting renewable energy whereas the 
Sustainable Development Summit had a broader theme of greenhouse gas 
emissions and climate change.  He said that, in addition to a strong 
IREC 2010 focus on wind and solar, there is also a lot of interest 
in India in waste-to-energy projects and some interest in geothermal 
heat pumps.  Green buildings, green cities, and energy efficiency 
should also be featured at IREC 2010, Gupta suggested.  Gupta stated 
he did not feel there had been any movement on cooperative research 
and development in RE and so he did not want to focus on it at the 
conference.  Ambassador Harnish stated that Secretary Gupta would 
likely find that, if the broad themes of the conference are well 
chosen correct, then people around the world would eagerly attend to 
demonstrate the best technological solutions available. 
 
¶9. (U) In response to Virginia Sonntag-O'Brien's offer to use the 
June 2009 Renewable Energy Policy Network 21 (REN21) Secretariat 
meeting in June 2009 to assist in planning IREC 2010, MNRE Secretary 
Gupta offered to host the committee meeting in New Delhi.  Griffin 
Thompson suggested that the Renewable Energy taskforce of the Asia 
Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) could 
also play a role.  Ms. Singh indicated the themes of IREC 2010 
should be inter-sectoral and cross-cutting. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Ambassador Harnish raised the issue of pledges and stated 
IREC pledges have no impact on UNFCCC negotiations.  He noted the 
importance of pledges to stimulate real action on RE and explained 
the USG announced it would be accepting pledges six months in 
advance of WIREC as well as last moment pledges at the conference 
that were announced during the plenary.  Impressed with the 
presentation, Secretary Gupta stated the GOI Solar Mission could be 
its pledge at IREC 2010. 
 
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
NEW DELHI 00000453  003 OF 004 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) Ministry of Power's BEE Director General Ajay Mathur told 
the delegation that he saw renewable energy and energy efficiency 
(EE) as two sides of the same coin.  Griffin Thompson noted IREC 
2010 would be an excellent forum to showcase the integration of EE 
and RE, particularly in the building sector which would give the 
conference a particularly Indian stamp.  After the delegation's 
presentation, Mathur stated BEE was willing to support IREC 2010, 
including financially, and indicated that a combination of policy 
support, good regulation, and increased development of RE 
technologies could be a highlight of IREC 2010. 
 
Ministry of Environment and Forests 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) Joint Secretary 
Mr. R.R. Rashmi informed the delegation of the Climate Technology 
Conference of Oct 22-23, 2009.  Mr. R.K. Sethi, Director for Climate 
Change said the MOEF is keen on U.S. support for the 2009 technology 
conference, and felt the 2009 conference can be a good way to gauge 
the interest for the 2010 IREC.  Mr. Sethi also mentioned that 
having the Climate Technology Conference closer to the IREC was not 
a possibility as they wished to host it before the Copenhagen 
conference of December 2009.  Mr. Rashmi underscored the value of 
due deliberation on the themes for the IREC suggesting they be 
structured imaginatively and constructively. 
 
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MPNG) 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MPNG) Additional 
Secretary S. Sundareshan noted that MPNG and its public sector 
companies are interested in bio-fuels both as producers and 
purchasers of ethanol and bio-diesel, including for blending 5% 
ethanol in petrol (gasoline).  Ambassador Harnish outlined USG 
bio-fuels promotion policy and highlighted participation in 
WIREC-2008's bio-fuels component by USDA, USEPA, and USDOE, 
including addressing how to put public policy in place to unleash 
market adoption and scaling up of bio-fuels.  Sundareshan outlined 
India's current bio-fuels policy and expressed interest in IREC-2010 
addressing policies for promoting bio-fuels development and adoption 
in India and the developing world.  He noted described current 
problems for India's biofuels, including a drop in sugar production 
and the plunge in world petroleum prices.  MPNG is committed to 
supporting and actively participating in IREC-2010 with MNRE as the 
lead agency, Sundareshan said. 
 
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Virendra Gupta, MEA Additional Secretary for Investment 
and Trade Policy and for Energy Security, -- who attended the 
WIREC-2008 meeting -- pledged MEA support for IREC-2010 under MNRE's 
lead and discussed arrangements in detail.  He cautioned that Indian 
ministries are sensitive about their own turf, adding that MEA will 
work to coordinate GOI support for MNRE's management of IREC.  After 
Gupta departs his MEA post in April, his subordinate, MEA Joint 
Secretary (for Energy Security) Sanjay Verma, will be the MEA point 
of contact to support MNRE on IREC, Virendra Gupta said.  He added 
that MEA sees great direct benefit for India in its hosting 
IREC-2010. 
 
¶15. (SBU) MEA will provide MNRE with foreign policy guidance and 
diplomatic support, including having India's ambassadors and 
embassies engage early on with host countries' energy and foreign 
affairs ministries to promote world-wide participation by officials, 
businesses and NGOs, Virendra Gupta pledged.  Ambassador Harnish 
noted that then-Secretary of State Rice had sent a letter to her 
counterparts nine months before WIREC urging attendance.  Gupta 
responded that the GOI/MEA should wait until after the upcoming 
elections result in a new government being formed in June 2009, and 
then propose having the new GOI foreign minister issue invitation 
letters for IREC-2010.  Gupta also requested close collaboration 
with MEA on fund raising to subsidize attendance by energy official 
of more needy developing countries, especially in view of the world 
financial crisis. 
 
¶16. (SBU) Virendra Gupta added that India has joined the 
FRG-promoted International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), despite 
USG concerns (refs D,E), because the GOI wants to have a voice at 
IRENA and because India is still not eligible to be a member of the 
 
NEW DELHI 00000453  004 OF 004 
 
 
International Energy Agency (IEA).  He also noted problems in 
India's bio-fuels policy implementation due to falling sugar cane 
production and plunging world petroleum prices. 
 
Ministry of Coal 
---------------- 
 
¶17. (SBU) Dr. S.P. Seth, Special Secretary, Ministry of Coal -- who 
is also co-chair of the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue's Coal Working 
Group -- and Advisor Pravat Mandal detailed coal's current and 
future predominance in providing India's energy needs.  Coal-fired 
thermal power accounts for 53% of India's total installed power 
generation capacity and 65% to 68% of India's total production of 
electricity.  Seth added that renewable solar energy was "dear to 
his heart," especially since he earned his Ph.D. in solar physics. 
Seth said the Ministry of Coal will support IREC.  He reviewed 
related programs under the APP Coal Mining Task Force and the 
U.S.-India Energy Dialogue's Coal Working Group such as: 
-- the November 2008 kick-off of the Coal Bed Methane Coal Mine 
Methane (CBM/CMM) Information Clearing House in Ranchi, Jharkhand; 
and 
-- the Methane-to-Markets Partnership. 
 
Ministry of Power 
----------------- 
 
¶18. (SBU) Mr. Gireesh B. Pradhan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of 
Power -- who is also co-chair of the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue's 
Power and Energy Efficiency Working  Group (P&EE WG) -- detailed 
progress on several bilateral projects and APP multi-lateral 
projects for energy efficiency and  for integrating renewable-source 
electricity production into power grids.  He singled out: 
-- the Joint Task Force on Integrated Gas and Combined Cycle; 
-- Bureau of Energy Efficiency cooperation with USAID on energy 
service company (ESCO) programs; 
-- USAID's the Distribution Reforms, Upgrades, and Management (DRUM) 
Training Program; and 
-- Information Exchanges with U.S. Rural Electricity Cooperatives. 
 
¶19. (SBU) Pradhan said the Ministry of Power welcomes any effort to 
work on renewable energy and is "wholeheartedly" in favor of 
collaborating with the MNRE on making IREC a success.  He also 
underscored that energy ministries are sensitive about their own 
turf and that his ministry will seek to work smoothly with MNRE.  In 
addition to transfer of RE and EE technology on a commercial basis, 
Pradhan recommended finding arrangements for tech transfer on a 
non-commercial basis to India and other developing countries through 
assistance programs and funding.  He noted the Ministry Power's 
cooperation with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission to 
facilitate power grid connectivity and interaction for 
renewable-sourced power, and suggested a strong focus on this issue 
at IREC, especially technical and commercial aspects. 
 
¶20. (SBU) COMMENT:  Ambassador Harnish's delegation and engagement 
with the GOI could not have come at a better time as with less then 
one year before IREC 2010, it was clear the GOI had barely begun to 
consider the logistics requirements of an international conference 
of this scale.  MNRE Secretary Gupta, who will have a large say in 
the shape of IREC 2010, focused mainly on very small scale 
technologies and was initially reluctant to think big on what IREC 
2010 could mean for India and RE worldwide.  However, by the end of 
the meeting, he stated MNRE would actively engage industry, seek out 
the best speakers, and devote considerable time and energy to making 
IREC 2010 a world class event. END COMMENT. 
 
¶21.  This cable has been cleared by Griffin Thompson at the 
direction of Ambassador Harnish. 
 
WHITE