The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) engages in the Asia-Pacific region through regional partnerships, as well as bilaterally with individual countries. In addition to the deployment-focused partnerships described below, EERE Technology Offices engage in bilateral research partnerships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, China, India, Japan, and Korea. China research collaboration includes the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center. India research collaboration includes the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy – Research.
Regional Partnerships
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
The APEC Energy Working Group was launched in 1990 to increase energy trade and investment and ensure that energy contributes to the economic, social, and environmental enhancement of the Asia-Pacific region while mitigating the environmental effects of energy supply and use. The U.S. Department of Energy currently serves as the Lead Shepherd for the Energy Working Group. The Energy Working Group supports projects that advance clean energy technologies and policies in the region. EERE proposed and is managing an APEC-funded project to develop a strategy for large-scale implementation of biogas capture from palm oil mill effluent and reuse for renewable electricity generation.
Bilateral Partnerships
China
Energy Efficiency
Announced by the President in 2009, the U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan was initiated to address energy and environmental challenges in buildings, industry, communities, and consumer products.
Renewable Energy
Announced by the President in 2009, the U.S.-China Renewable Energy Partnership was launched by DOE and China’s National Energy Agency in 2009 to increase the deployment of renewable energy technologies, improve energy security, and expand business opportunities in the United States and China.
Biofuels
DOE and U.S. Department of Agriculture collaborate with China’s National Energy Administration on development of advanced biofuels and bioproducts, including feedstock development and logistics, conversion technologies, and sustainability analysis.
Sub-National Collaboration
DOE leads several initiatives with Chinese counterparts that work at the local government level to share solutions on sustainable energy planning, and to promote trade and investment.
India
The U.S.-India Energy Dialogue
The U.S.-India Energy Dialogue aims to enhance energy security and promotes increased trade and investment in the energy sector. It is structured around a Steering Committee and five working groups: Oil & Gas; Coal; Civil Nuclear; Power & Energy Efficiency; and New Technologies & Renewable Energy. EERE participates in the latter two.
Energy Efficiency
DOE cooperates with several government and non-government organizations in India, providing analysis, technical guidance, training, and tools for energy efficient design and analysis. These initiatives are designed to develop capacity for energy efficiency utilization, opening and developing markets for U.S. technologies and energy services in India. Topics include data center and building IT energy efficiency, sustainable cities planning and implementation, and energy conservation building code implementation.
Renewable Energy
DOE collaborates with Indian and private sector partners to decrease the barriers for the deployment of renewables, thus increasing the Indian market for U.S. clean technologies and services. Topics include solar resource assessment and mapping, reliability of photovoltaic modules, improving wind resource estimates, wind turbine modeling, and facilitating integration of large amounts of variable renewables into the electric grid in a cost-effective manner.
Indonesia
The U.S.- Indonesia Energy Dialogue is a mechanism to enhance our mutual energy security, promote increased trade and investment, and accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies. EERE’s project on Sustainable Energy for Remote Indonesian Grids (SERIG) launched in 2013 to support Indonesia’s efforts to develop clean energy and increase access to electricity in remote locations across the country. The SERIG project has conducted technical and economic analyses for high-penetration renewable energy technologies to replace high-cost diesel generation on selected islands and remote grids. EERE is facilitating hand-offs for private-sector development of the identified renewable electricity solutions at three pilot locations. SERIG has also developed a set of strategies for accelerating deployment of renewable electricity in remote locations nationwide and is supporting implementation of these strategies by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the state-owned electric utility.