Arlington, VA. On January 18, US Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong launched the Interstate Clean Energy Procurement Program (ICEPP) in New Delhi, India. ICEPP will advance the development of clean energy infrastructure in eight Indian states through targeted training for public procurement officials on best value and life-cycle cost analysis. USTDA is funding ICEPP through its Global Procurement Initiative (GPI).
“USTDA is launching ICEPP because of the priority that India has placed, at both the national and state level, on procuring high-quality clean energy infrastructure,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “USTDA is enthusiastic about supporting India’s state-level clean energy strategies through the ICEPP. Our goal is the implementation of priority projects that provide reliable electricity, sustainable growth, and economic opportunities.”
Director Ebong launched ICEPP during its inaugural training event, which included state-level procurement officials from the states of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. With a combined population of more than 500 million people, these states have ambitious renewable energy targets requiring billions of dollars in new investment and are among India’s leaders in terms of installed renewable energy capacity.
A focus of the USTDA-funded training will include interstate collaboration for achieving each state’s respective clean energy development strategies. ICEPP will also include a 10-session virtual training series, two study tours to the United States, and a virtual forum for each of the participating states. These forums will identify concrete ways to finance and implement clean energy projects in each state.
Launched in 2013, USTDA’s GPI trains public officials in emerging markets on how to establish procurement practices and policies that integrate life-cycle cost analysis and best value determination in a fair, transparent manner. GPI helps partner countries acquire high-quality, long-lasting technologies, while building smart, sustainable infrastructure with overall savings to their government. These procurement methods also open markets to greater international competition. GPI leverages the expertise of its institutional partners and collaborators, which include universities, multilateral development banks and government entities.
