US Hails India's SHANTI Bill, Paving Way for Stronger Energy Security Partnership
Image Source: Internet
The United States has welcomed India's landmark 'SHANTI' Bill, a move aimed at solidifying a stronger energy security partnership and promoting peaceful civil nuclear cooperation. The bill, which consolidates and modernizes India's nuclear legal framework, enables private companies to enter the atomic energy sector under regulatory oversight. Passed by the Parliament on Thursday, the SHANTI Bill - Standing for 'Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India' - paves the way for private firms to own, operate, and decommission nuclear power plants in the country. This marks a significant shift from the previous setup, where only public sector companies could operate nuclear power plants, although joint ventures were allowed. According to the government, the new bill supports India's clean-energy transition and aims to achieve a 100 GW nuclear energy capacity by 2047. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will be granted statutory recognition, strengthening regulatory oversight. The US Embassy in India has expressed its readiness to collaborate with India on joint innovation and R&D in the energy sector. 'We welcome India's new #SHANTIBill, a step towards a stronger energy security partnership and peaceful civil nuclear cooperation,' said the US Embassy in a statement. The SHANTI Bill has been hailed as a significant move towards transforming India's energy sector, with far-reaching implications for the country's energy security and its commitment to clean energy.
