India Press Releases

United States and India Promote Coal and Coal Mine Methane Projects in India

November 17, 2006

New Delhi -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Indian Embassy in Washington yesterday announced the establishment of a Methane to Markets Partnership to promote the development of coal bed and coal methane projects in India. 
"This commitment represents yet another initiative between the United States and India that will support clean development and energy security," said William L. Wehrum, the Environmental Protection Agency’s acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation and chair of the Methane to Markets Steering Committee.

The partnership establishes a clearinghouse that will be a source of information for domestic and international investors and help promote the development of coal bed and coal mine methane projects in India.  The Environmental Protection Agency has established coal bed methane clearinghouses in several other countries, including China, Russia, and Ukraine.

The Methane to Markets Partnership, an initiative launched by President Bush in November 2004, is a public-private partnership to advance methane recovery and use projects in four sectors: agriculture, coal mines, landfills, and oil and natural gas systems. More than 350 organizations from around the world have made commitments to this partnership. The United States has committed up to $53 million to this initiative over the next five years.
For more information about the Methane to Markets Partnership, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website:  http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets

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