Thursday, May 25 2006 09:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: A US Senate committee has approved an act seeking to promote global energy security through increased cooperation between India and the United States.

The US-India Energy Security Cooperation Act of 2005 was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which forwarded the measure to be reported favourably to the full Senate for a vote.

The Act has nothing to do with the Indo-US civilian nuclear energy agreement legislation that is currently pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sponsored last November by the Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Indiana Republican Richard Lugar, the Energy Security Cooperation Act seeks to promote global energy security through increased Indo-US cooperation in diversifying sources of energy, stimulating development of alternative fuels, developing and deploying technologies promoting clean and efficient use of coal, and improving energy efficiency.