The United States became the 101st member of the International Solar Alliance on Wednesday, which is led by India and aims to make solar energy accessible and affordable to all.
The development was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “great news.” In a tweet, he added, “This will further strengthen the alliance in our shared mission for harnessing solar energy for a sustainable planet.”
On Wednesday afternoon, US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry delivered the joining paper to the India delegation headquarters in Glasgow. “It’s long overdue, and we’re delighted to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded.” “We worked out the technicalities, and we’re excited to be a part of this process,” Kerry added.
“The United States’ endorsement of the International Solar Alliance’s framework and approach is a heartening development, especially as our 101st member nation, which is a significant milestone in and of itself, demonstrating that nations around the world are recognizing the economic and climate-mitigating value of solar, as well as this energy source’s potential as a catalyst for global energy transition,” said Ajay Mathur, ISA director-general.
ISA is now a legally recognized international organization founded on intergovernmental treaties. Its headquarters are in New Delhi, and it aims to expedite the adoption of solar energy by making it more accessible and inexpensive. It intends to accomplish this by aggregating demand from all member countries, standardizing equipment and technology, and encouraging R&D.
The United States’ membership in ISA, according to ISA’s founding director-general emeritus Upendra Tripathy, can help speed up the process.
“The United States joining the ISA will tremendously encourage many other countries to do the same. It will help ISA maintain its financial stability while also enhancing its worldwide climate change role. This is also the coming together of two of the world’s great democracies in a win-win partnership to combat climate change and promote climate justice,” Tripathy remarked.
The Trump administration, on the other hand, has placed such plans on hold.
The US was generally expected to join the alliance after the Joe Biden administration began office this year.
ISA has aided the installation of solar projects totaling 5 GW in member countries. It has also launched the ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ (OSOWOG) initiative, which aims to build a global connected solar grid that will protect power supplies from diurnal, seasonal, and weather-related oscillations that are inherent in solar electricity output.
The US had joined the steering committee of One Sun One World One Grid immediately before its inauguration at the Glasgow edition of COP26, even before it became a member of ISA.
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