USAID’s Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program (V-LEEP) is working closely with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) at a national and provincial level to develop and implement policies that support scaling up clean energy. The program also works with Vietnam’s private sector to accelerate clean energy development and increase adoption of energy efficient solutions by the country’s industries. Since the GVN introduced incentives for solar energy in 2017, USAID has been working with private companies to build large-scale solar and wind power plants. In addition, the private sector is also interested in the emerging opportunity to participate in renewable energy Direct Power Purchase Agreements. In May 2019, the Ha Do Group, one of USAID’s partners, completed construction of its first $51 million, 48 megawatt power solar farm in Binh Thuan province. This utility-scale solar farm will generate roughly 98 million kilowatt hours of emissions-free electricity per year, enough to power 40,000 households. Ha Do contracted with SunPower, a U.S. leader in solar energy, for engineering and procurement, including their SunPower solar modules with tracking systems. USAID’s V-LEEP Team worked with Ha Do and other Vietnamese partners to organize a study trip with lenders to see operating solar farms in Thailand, provide technical assistance, prepare investment plans, and select qualified Owner Engineer Service Providers.

So What? USAID is helping private companies to generate more solar and wind power to meet Vietnam’s growing energy needs, reduce environmental impacts, and strengthen energy security - a key objective of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.