US Joins International Solar Alliance

Context

Recently, the United States of America became the 101st member country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

What is ISA?

• The ISA is an intergovernmental treaty-based organisation with a global mandate to catalyse solar growth by helping to reduce the cost of financing and technology.
• ISA is the nodal agency for implementing One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG).
• OSOWOG seeks to transfer solar power generated in one region to feed the electricity demands of others.
• It is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource-rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.
• There are 101 members in ISA, after being joined by the US.
• The Headquarters is in India with its Interim Secretariat being set up in Gurugram.
• Objective: To collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.