In India as in the United States, state governments play a critical role in addressing climate change. This roundtable meeting will convene state energy policy leaders from both countries to discuss challenges and opportunities in achieving climate and clean energy goals at the state and local levels. Interactive discussions facilitated by NASEO and the Center for Strategic and International Studies will explore institutional collaborations that support the transition to net-zero economies and policy strategies Indian and U.S. states can use to advance decarbonization goals across a wide variety of sectors and markets. To learn more, please contact Sandy Fazeli (sfazeli@naseo.org) or Neelima Jain (njain@csis.org).

Agenda:

Welcome and Introductions: Priorities, Challenges, and Opportunities
Hosts from CSIS and NASEO will share opening remarks and set the stage for the roundtable meeting. Meeting participants will be invited to share a brief overview of their main clean energy and climate goals and the strategies, partnerships, and technologies they will leverage to achieve them.

States’ Decarbonization Journeys: From Goals to Implementation to Impact

I. Mobilizing and Motivating Partners, Stakeholders, and Consumers
From researching and assessing market opportunities to analyzing and tracking the impacts of policies and programs, states can play an important role in building confidence and inspiring action by other state and local agencies, private sector decision-makers, and consumers. In this discussion, U.S. and Indian state representatives will highlight the organizational, partnership, and program strategies they use to achieve their clean energy goals.

II. Electric Utilities as Drivers of Power Sector Decarbonization
In this discussion, U.S. and Indian energy utility representatives will present their experiences and efforts to decarbonize the electric grid, highlighting the institutional, financial, and technological implications of the transition.

III. How Policy, Program Design, and Regulation Interact to Accelerate Clean Energy
States can make use of a wide variety of policy tools to address energy supply and use, from incentives to standards, mandates, and regulations. This discussion will explore how different Indian and U.S. states have navigated these policy options to expand and accelerate their clean energy economies. 

Concluding Thoughts
Roundtable participants will share their key takeaways from the meeting and discuss potential opportunities for continued collaboration.