ISA-USAID Event in COP29 Envisioning Super Grids for Large Scale Clean Energy Transition

On November 19, 2024, USAID, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) jointly hosted a high-level session titled ‘Envisioning Super Grids for Large-Scale Clean Energy Transition’ at the ISA Pavilion, Baku Stadium, during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. COP29 is focused on advancing global climate action and solutions, with an emphasis on addressing financial mechanisms. The session drove attention to establishing trans-regional green energy corridors, integrating electricity grids across South Asia, ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and African countries through super grids.

In order to integrate the regional electrical networks of South Asia, ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Africa, the session focuses on creating trans-regional green energy corridors with the goal of establishing a super grid that connects regional power networks, allowing for a widespread switch to renewable energy sources, especially solar energy. In order to satisfy growing energy demands and handle the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, the session examined the prospects and difficulties associated with developing such super grids, highlighting the significance of integrating clean energy resources across various locations.

This conversation made it easier for important players, such as transmission planners, , policy makers, business executives, and regional organizations, to share best practices and expertise in order to foster an atmosphere that is favorable to the creation and deployment of super grids. The technical needs for cross-border power transmission, financial models, regulatory obstacles, and policy harmonization were the main topics of discussion. In the end, the meeting encouraged international cooperation to improve energy security, stimulate economic growth, and quicken the shift to a net-zero energy future.

Key Highlights of the Session:

1. Launch of Report
• The session unveiled report on “International Best Practices on Business and Financial Models for Developing Cross-Border Electricity Transmission Infrastructure” developed under USAID’s South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) program.
2. Presentation by SAREP on “Envisioning Super Grids for Large-Scale Clean Energy Transition”.
• A detailed presentation by Mr. Rajiv Ratna Panda, Regional Energy Trade Lead, SAREP emphasized the need for developing trans-regional super grids, their necessity and means to achieve them, and presented the findings and strategies emerging from international best practices on regional transmission grid infrastructure, captured in the released report.
• To reach international national energy and climate goals, the length of grids around the world has to increase by 2.3 times.
• Super-grids are a very wide-area transmission network, generally trans-continental, or multinational, that will enable trade of high volumes of electricity across great distances.
• A series of steps across political, policy, regulatory and electricity market, technical, commercial, institutional, and financial domains are needed to achieve the desired level of interconnection. Mr. Rajiv recommended the following:-
• Need to build Political Trust, Agreements & Geopolitical Convergences & Consensus
• Develop Protocol Agreement on “Principles for Super Grid Development and Implementation and Multinational Super Grid Policies for trans-regional interconnections.
• Create of “High Level Body-” Super Grids International Commission “for Political & Policy Dialogue for Inter-Regional Regulatory Coordination and Harmonization.
• Development of “Super Grids Governance & Operational Regulations “and Super Grid Trans-Regional Power Exchange (SG-TRPX)
• Create a Super Grid Regulators International Forum (SG-RIF) for Trans-Regional Regulatory Dialogue and develop Co-ordinated Planning-Super Grid Master Plan and Operational and Security Protocol Global Grid Emergencies
• Need to build Inter-Regional Institutional Partnership arrangements and create Trans-Regional Coordination Forums such as Super Grid Planners Forum (SGPF), Super Grid System Operators Forum (SGSOF)
• Develop dedicated Super Grid Funding Facility/Window for financing super grids
3. Progress on ISA’s OSOWOG Initiative
• Mr. Pankaj Khurana, Programme Specialist at ISA, shared updates on ISA’s One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative, highlighting milestones achieved in solar grid integration and OSOWOG.

The high-level session also witnessed a sap panel discussion that saw physical and virtual participation from the Government of Bhutan, Southern African Power Pool, Grid Controller of India Limited, PowerGrid Corporation of India Limited, Central Electricity Authority of India, ASEAN Centre for Energy.

Outcomes:

• The session emphasized the importance of regional energy cooperation and trans-regional power trade in the Global South.
• ISA and USAID finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating electricity grid interconnections globally, advancing large-scale deployment of renewable energy.

This collaborative discourse exemplified international collaboration, setting the stage for transformative progress in global energy transition. Most importantly, the ISA aad USAID partnership is driving regional energy cooperation and power trade across South Asia and beyond.