[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E370-E371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INDIA-U.S. DEAL SIGNALS ENERGY SOVEREIGNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2025

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last week, Vice President 
J.D. Vance with his Indian-American wife Usha, achieved a global 
recalibration for energy independence meeting with America's 
appreciated ally Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  It is an extraordinary recognition of the positive impact of Indian-
Americans that the Second Lady of America is an Indian-American 
herself.
  American partnership has never been more important with the world's 
oldest democracy allied with the world's largest democracy.
  An excellent analysis of this energy achievement was provided in the 
daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times on April 28, 
2025, by Vijay Jayaraj of the CO2 Coalition in Fairfax, Virginia:


                                opinion

       In a landmark move that may well redefine the future of 
     U.S.-India trade relations and global energy geopolitics, 
     Vice President J.D. Vance announced a new trade deal with 
     India. The day after he met with Indian Prime Minister 
     Narendra Modi on April 21, Mr. Vance said the two countries 
     had ``officially finalized the terms of reference for the 
     trade negotiation.''
       The deal, initiated against the backdrop of President 
     Trump's tariff threats, could be a masterstroke of economic 
     diplomacy. Mr. Trump's announcement of a 90-day pause on 
     reciprocal tariffs, which could have raised duties on Indian 
     exports, gave India a window to negotiate.
       The energy economics of this deal and its potential to 
     reshape the global market for fossil fuels are fascinating. 
     In his announcement, Mr. Vance declared, ``We want to sell 
     more energy to India and also help it explore its resources, 
     including offshore natural gas reserves and critical mineral 
     supplies.''
       The arrangement could propel India toward its long-standing 
     goal of energy surplus. This feat appeared daunting, perhaps 
     impossible, against the nation's projections for a massive 
     increase in demand, the fastest-growing among major economies 
     for the next two decades.
       Let's get it straight: India has a long way to go before it 
     even contemplates reducing its consumption of hydrocarbons. 
     Even a middle-class Indian like me residing in a major city 
     experiences power blackouts regularly, which is precisely why 
     the nation has postponed net-zero ambitions to a distant 
     2070. Even the documents for the country's participation in 
     the nutty United Nations Paris Agreement prioritize domestic 
     energy security over international climate diplomacy.
       India's reliance on imported energy, which includes more 
     than 85% of its crude oil and roughly 50% of its natural gas, 
     poses a strategic vulnerability. The government aims to more 
     than double natural gas' share of the energy mix to 15% by 
     2030. U.S. liquefied natural gas suppliers have surpassed the 
     United Arab Emirates to become India's second-largest LNG 
     supplier, trailing only Qatar.
       A key player in this unfolding saga is GAIL Ltd., India's 
     state-owned natural gas company. On April 11, GAIL issued a 
     tender to procure 1 million metric tons per annum of LNG from 
     an existing or new U.S. LNG liquefaction project, with 
     operations commencing by 2030. The agreement, potentially 
     extendable by five to 10 years, signals India's commitment to 
     U.S. supplies.
       GAIL had to stall a similar process in 2023 to buy a stake 
     in a U.S. LNG plant after President Biden banned export 
     permits for LNG projects. The ban was lifted only after the 
     Trump administration returned to the White House.
       The timing of the upcoming deal is notable, strengthening 
     India's position as a counterweight to China. The Quad 
     alliance--comprising the U.S., India, Japan and Australia--
     gains heft as India bolsters its energy security and economic 
     clout.
       As Mr. Vance emphasized, the U.S. willingness to share 
     technology and expertise could enhance Indian autonomy, 
     reducing reliance on adversarial suppliers. This alignment is 
     particularly crucial as China intensifies its trade outreach 
     in Southeast Asia and seeks to blunt the effect of U.S. 
     tariffs.
       The Western media will decry the expansion of fossil fuel 
     trading as a climate catastrophe, as though that would 
     resonate with a serious person. The U.S.-India deal wisely 
     eschews climate moralizing and embraces a symbiotic truth: 
     America's shale boom and India's hunger for energy perfectly 
     match.
       This deal reaffirms energy sovereignty. Perhaps it marks 
     the beginning of a global recalibration, in which nations 
     rediscover the courage to assert their right to energy 
     abundance and economic self-determination without apologizing 
     to the corrupt and decrepit climate cartel of Brussels, Davos 
     and U.N. corridors.
       May the new world order feature developing nations standing 
     for their futures and rejecting the false campaign of 
     planetary salvation.

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