WASHINGTON, Apr 24 (Reuters): Environmental groups urged the United States on Wednesday to drop a challenge to India's massive solar program and said the World Trade Organization case would only hurt the growth of renewable energy resources.
The United States is taking action at the WTO over the domestic content requirements in India's program, which aims to ease chronic energy shortages in Asia's third-largest economy.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman has said making Indian solar developers use locally made equipment discriminates against US producers, in breach of WTO rules, and could hinder the spread of solar power globally by making equipment more expensive.
But green groups including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA and Friends of the Earth US said supporting the US industry should not come at the expense of India's push to cut fossil fuels and build a viable domestic renewables industry, which would in turn help global efforts to tackle climate change.
"The US should not compromise the long-term growth of the solar market just so that it can achieve limited near-term gain," a coalition of 15 groups wrote in a letter to Froman.
Green groups urge US to drop solar trade case against India
FE Team | Published: April 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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