Who are they?
Ernest Moniz. U.S. Government Work.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Source: Wikimedia, creative commons license.
Dr. Ernest Moniz is currently serving as secretary of the U.S.Department of Energy (DOE). He served as under secretary of energy from 1997 until 2001. Previously, he was a professor of physics and engineering systems as well as the head of the department of physics at MIT.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been serving as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission for India since 2004. Previously, he served as the director of the independent evaluation office of the International Monetary Fund. He began his service to the Government of India in 1979 as an economic adviser in the ministry of finance. He subsequently held positions in the prime minister’s office, the department of commerce, the department of economic affairs and the ministry of finance.
Why are they in the news together?
Secretary Moniz and Shri Ahluwalia both took part in the fourth Strategic Dialogue held in New Delhi this week. During the discussion, both sides pledged to build on their important work in clean energy and energy efficiency, and to boost U.S. investment in India’s energy sector. They also urged an expeditious conclusion to ongoing discussions on Westinghouse’s and General Electric’s intents to set up nuclear power plants in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
What was their role at the Strategic Dialogue?
Secretary Moniz and Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia serve as co-chairs of the U.S. – India Energy Dialogue.Thus, their role during joint discussions on topics such as clean energy, energy efficiency, and civilian – nuclear cooperation was crucial.
What can we expect from them?
Going forward, prioritizing cooperation on nuclear energy and renewables and boosting U.S. LNG exports to India will be key.
It’s likely that Secretary Moniz will find ways to continue to work with India to cut down on their greenhouse gas emissions. An outspoken advocate for working to curtail climate change, he recently identified climate change and clean energy advancement as his highest priorities, and said they were “real driver of my coming back [to the DOE].” He will undoubtedly be a critical player as the Obama administration unveils new plans to combat climate change in the coming months. He has publicly stated his intention to revive so-called “forgotten renewables.” Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia shares Secretary Moniz’s determination to push renewable energy sources, and has pledged to incentivize use of green energy sources in India.
Secretary Moniz has also pledged to review the remaining 20 applications to export LNG to non-FTA countries such as India, and will complete this process by the end of 2013.
