Find alternative energy sources, Bodman urges India

Washington, June 17 : Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman called upon ''the best scientists and engineers in India'' to pool their talent and collaborate with their American counterparts to expand research in finding alternative sources of energy.

Referring to President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative, ''an achievable program'' to bring to market energy produced from cellulosic ethanol, hydrogen, solar and wind technologies, Mr Bodman said ''This will require the best scientists and the best engineers.

Many of these individuals are to be found, not in the United States, but in India.'' He expressed hope that the ''two countries can cooperate on these projects as well, as we are on the ITER and on FutureGen, to bring them to fruition that much sooner. '' Mr Bodman was addressing a symposium here yesterday on ''India's Changing Innovation System: Ahievements, Challenges, and Opportunities for Cooperation.'' He said cooperation between the two countries is important to the global marketplace and for the spread of the democratic model of governance. ''But most of all I believe that much of that power comes in the areas of science and technology.'' ''Cooperation in this area, will help enhance energy security for both our countries because it promotes the development of stable and efficient energy markets and will enhance the research and development of alternative energy sources already underway.'' ''Another area of cooperation is the international collaboration on ITER'' an international partnership dedicated to developing an experimental reactor to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy.

Mr Bodman said in so doing, ''I know that India will be playing a very important role in harnessing fusion as an inexhaustible source of pollution-free energy for the world.'' India has joined the other six parties to the international ITER agreement, initialed just last month in Brussels. Together, the seven parties to this agreement represent more than half of the world's population.

In this context he welcomed India's collaboration on the development of the proposed International Linear Collider, which would make possible new discoveries in particle physics.

''We intend for the ILC to be designed, funded, managed and operated as a fully international scientific project, one I hope the Indians will join,'' he added.

Under the terms of bilateral Agreement on Science and Technology between the US and India, the two countries will be able to advance scientific progress in clean energy research and development, the sharing of training facilities and the exchange of materials and equipment.

''One example of the kind of cooperation we hope to encourage is India's decision to join the FutureGen international partnership,'' Mr Bodman said.

He said he especially appreciated India's agreement to participate in the FutureGen steering committee, its commitment to participate in the FutureGen Industry Alliance and its pledge of 10 million dollar to the project, 2.2 million dollar of which has already been donated.

''This is a major investment in future technology, one that will benefit both our countries and the world. We are also working together to bring India into the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and to cooperate on efforts to study methane hydrates,'' Mr Bodman said.

UNI