USAID Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program (V-LEEP) Quarterly Report FY16 Q4 (July – September 2016)

The program aims to promote the development of critical building blocks to scale up clean energy, such as accessible smart incentives for clean energy and energy efficiency investments, enabling a competitive environment for renewable energy generation, enhancing renewable power grid integration, and ensuring locational concentration of clean energy generation facilities. The program consists of three components: Component 1, Low Emission Strategy Development for the Energy Sector; Component 2, Enhance Capacity and Improve Enabling Environment for Renewable Energy Development; and Component 3, Increase Energy Efficiency Adoption and Compliance. Component 1 focuses on enhancing the GVN's capacity to analyze and develop clean energy strategies, and evaluate emission mitigation options for decision making. Component 2 aims to enhance the capacity of Vietnamese government institutions to improve the enabling environment for renewable energy development, enhance the capacity of RE developers and the private sector in large-scale RE development, and increase adoption of RE in industry. Component 3 focuses on increasing energy efficiency adoption and compliance. During the fourth quarter of FY16, the Deloitte V-LEEP team continued technical work under each of the three project components as outlined in the Year 1 Work Plan, revising and finalizing Year 1 deliverables, and laying the groundwork for activities planned in Year 2. The team made good progress towards obtaining Government of Vietnam (GVN) Activity Approval during this past quarter. After supporting further revisions, the draft Project Document was passed from the General Directorate of Energy (GDE) to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). The document has been revised per MPI instructions and resubmitted this quarter. The team also made progress under each of the project's three technical components during the past quarter. Under Component 1, the team continued work on clean energy program and policy mapping. The team also continued efforts to map energy modeling and tools, best practices and at Vietnam. Under Component 2, technical staff worked together on revisions to draft reports on industrial renewable energy adoption, renewable energy alternative procurement mechanisms, and GVN renewable energy capacity. Under Component 3, the team continued work on industrial characterization reports, an energy service company (ESCO) capacity assessment and energy efficiency labeling standards analysis. During August, V-LEEP conducted planning sessions for the development of the Year 2 Work Plan. The plan incorporates activities deferred from Year 1 due to the pending GVN Activity Approval as well as an agenda for activities in Year 2. The Year 2 Work Plan was submitted for approval to USAID in August. V-LEEP staff participated in several workshops as well as hosted and attended meetings with various parties interested in collaborating on V-LEEP, including Binh Thuan Wind Energy Association Meeting, Solar City, Thanh Hoa Green Growth Action Plan Launch, RDMA, and Coca-Cola. For the upcoming quarter, assuming approval is received, the V-LEEP team will hold an Activity Approval Ceremony, kick-off collaboration with various GDE counterparts, establish procedures for task development and approval, and begin executing all activities planned for Year 2. The team will also continue to support further developments in the GVN Activity Approval process, onboard the leads for Components 2 and 3, and submit the Year 2 Work Plan. The V-LEEP team has made significant progress in the fourth quarter of FY16, revising and finalizing Year 1 deliverables, and laying the groundwork for activities planned in Year 2. The team has also made good progress towards obtaining Government of Vietnam (GVN) Activity Approval, and has continued work on each of the project's three technical components. The team has also conducted planning sessions for the development of the Year 2 Work Plan, and has submitted the plan for approval to USAID.