In December 2017, USAID’s Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program (V-LEEP) started providing strategic technical and financial guidance to Bamboo Capital Group (BCG), a Vietnam-based infrastructure investment firm, to help them develop their 40.6 MW Bang Duong solar power project in Long An province. Last Sunday, USAID/Vietnam Deputy Mission Director Craig Hart joined leaders of Bamboo Capital Group, Long An’s People’s Committee and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the project. This solar farm is scheduled to begin commercial operations by June 2019 and will generate enough power to supply 25,000 households. The Bang Duong project is one of Vietnam’s first utility-scale solar projects to break ground. Former Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh also attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

So What?  Modern clean energy technologies offer Vietnam win-win solutions by reducing air pollution and meeting the growing energy demand. Hence, USAID is supporting the country to develop renewable energy projects that will power the country’s clean, smart, and secure economic growth.