US Government & General Electric Join Hands to Boost
Rural Electrification in India
January 27, 2006
NEW DELHI -- In a significant initiative that
will bring electricity to thousands in India, the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
and General Electric (GE) on January 26 launched a
partnership to increase access to clean and
affordable energy services in rural India.
USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau
of Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT),
James T. Smith, and GE’s Senior Manager for
International Trade and Investment, Tim Richards,
announced the India Rural Electrification Program at
USAID’s office in Washington on Thursday, January
26, 2006.
Photo Credit: Harry Edwards,
USAID
Commenting on this new initiative, USAID India’s
Mission Director George Deikun said in New Delhi on
Thursday: “This partnership is a milestone in
India’s march towards universal electrification. The
partnership will help to bring electricity to
thousands of people in India. USAID is proud to be
associated with this project. Access to clean energy
helps rural communities create new opportunities for
income generation and improve health care services,
enhance agricultural productivity and increase
access to clean water.”
The partnership, under USAID’s Global Development
Alliance initiative, will span a two-year period and
provide up to four village clusters in India with
access to clean energy through GE power generation
technologies, which utilize biomass, wind and solar
resources.
USAID plans to contribute $600,000 to this
program. GE will provide up to $2.7 million in
direct and indirect funding through its worldwide
network of experts and other partners. Winrock
International India will also contribute by helping
to mobilize local Indian communities where the
electrification systems will be located.
Currently 56 percent of India’s 700 million rural
residents lack adequate and/or reliable power
supplies. Experience from implementation of these
pilot projects will help identify successful rural
electrification models that can support the
Government of India’s promise of “power for all by
2009” and the 2003 Rural Electrification Act.
The Global Development Alliance works to develop
partnerships with private partners such as General
Electric to bring additional resources, intellectual
capital, new technologies and technical and
managerial expertise to address development
challenges.
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