Inviting applications for the SAREP Grants Annual Program Statement (APS) – FY2024. For more information click Here.

SAREP Overview

A green field with wind mills in the distance

The South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) serves as a flagship program to advance objectives of the U.S. Government’s Clean Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (Clean EDGE) initiative. SAREP improves access to affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable energy in six countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka – to strengthen systems and processes, in line with the economic and energy-security priorities of these countries.

This program furthers the U.S. Government’s Indo-Pacific Vision of facilitating collaboration among the six countries, to operate and accelerate the transition to clean energy, mitigate climate change, and promote energy security, economic development, self-reliance, livelihood, health, and productivity.

SAREP’s activities and outcomes also support and contribute to the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) and the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD) under the recently established U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. Through this collaboration, India, and the U.S. aim to demonstrate swift climate action that is inclusive, resilient, and based on national and regional priorities. Countries in the region will also benefit from each other’s experiences through this collaborative program by sharing of the learnings, best practices, and lessons.

By 2026, upon the conclusion of its activities, SAREP aims to leverage US$7 billion in private investment in power infrastructure, increase clean energy capacity by 5,000 megawatts (MW), save 435-gigawatt hours (GWh) through energy efficiency, and facilitate 4 terawatt-hours-worth (TWh) of cross-border trade.

SAREP is working through four technical objectives and three cross cutting themes. The program is also providing grants to demonstrate innovative pilots, business models, conduct market assessments, policy advocacy, deploy decision making tools, amongst other solutions to advance SAREP’s objectives through the SAREP Partnership Fund (SPF).

More information on the four technical objectives, three cross cutting themes and SPF is available on the links below:

Transmission Tower

Objective 1: Enhanced Regional Energy Markets and Integration

SAREP is working on developing regional power markets, improving coordination and planning, strengthening national and regional institutions, building consensus on power trade, and institutionalizing a supporting framework and mechanisms. SAREP activities are supporting expansion of cross-border power trade by supporting stakeholders to participate in trilateral, multilateral and exchange-based markets.
Electric vehicle

Objective 2: Increased deployment of advanced energy solutions and systems

SAREP is working on enhancing and accelerating deployment of clean energy technologies for transition to net zero emissions by helping partner countries reach near-term climate goals and avoid locking in longer-term emissions trajectories. These technologies include renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, off-grid, behind-the-meter technologies and smart appliances, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, and solutions and tools to support renewable energy integration including market products among others.

Objective 3: High-performing modern utilities

SAREP is enabling modernization of transmission, system operation and distribution utilities in the region to improve their technical, financial, and operational performance, grid resilience, enhance customer service, and promote adaptability to new technical advancements. The expected outcome is modern, financially viable utilities that enable clean energy transition and efficient energy markets. SAREP activities are geared to transform utilities to modern, financially viable entities that enable clean energy transition and efficient energy markets.
Solar

Objective 4: Transparent, Best Value Procurement and Private Sector Investment

SAREP is expanding private sector investments and enhancing domestic and international finance for clean energy deployment. SAREP is also working to enable improved procurement processes and governance, adoption of best-value procurement practices, promote PPP models, and improve bankability of clean energy projects.
To know more about the three cross-cutting themes that SAREP will incorporate across all activities, click on the links below:
private-sector

Private Sector Engagement

SAREP activities enhance private sector participation, leverage and mobilize resources, strengthen the enabling environment, increase awareness and understanding of solutions to enhance private sector finances, and promote replication of successful approaches.
Gender Diversity and Inclusion

Gender Diversity and Inclusion

SAREP is working to increase awareness and enable inclusion considerations in the energy sector, particularly mainstreaming gender in the energy sector. It will also engage and promote women leaders and entrepreneurs across the region.
Climate Change

Climate Change & Pollution Mitigation

SAREP is working on advancing clean energy deployment and related technologies and solutions to reduce air pollution associated with the energy sector.
Click on the link below for more information on the SAREP Partnership Fund (SPF)
Markets

SAREP Partnership Fund

The SAREP Partnership Fund (SPF) is supporting market-based transformative solutions to enable the clean energy transition, particularly by engaging the private sector, local organizations, and new and underutilized partners. It will also harness innovative business models, solutions, technologies, resources, experiences, and networks of relationships that exist across stakeholders. SPF will achieve this by catalyzing country and regional activities to complement the technical assistance provided by SAREP.