by Jbs122209 a3 — December 23, 2009—U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on December 14 that the United States is contributing at least $85 million to an international initiative to promote clean energy technologies in developing countries.
Speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP15”) in Copenhagen, Denmark, Secretary Chu said that a new five-year, $350 million Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative, or “Climate REDI,” will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health in developing countries via three new clean energy technology programs: the Solar and LED Energy Access Program; the Clean Energy Information Platform; and the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Program.
Climate REDI also includes the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (SREP), a multinational, collaborative effort that will provide policy support and technical assistance to low-income countries that are creating national renewable energy strategies. The United States will contribute $50 million to SREP to help launch the fund in 2010.
Secretary Chu also announced that the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) countries have released ten Technology Action Plans under a global partnership agreement established in July to develop and deploy clean energy technologies.
