Follow-Up on Monday's Caribbean Energy Security Summit

[Demeter]

Recap: Caribbean Energy Security Summit (by Americas Society/Council of the Americas)

http://www.as-coa.org/articles/recap-caribbean-energy-security-summit

Council of the Americas, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, the Atlantic Council, Caribbean heads of state, multilateral development banks and other actors of the international community convened on January 26 in Washington, DC for the Caribbean Energy Security Summit, an initiative announced by Vice President Joseph Biden in 2014. Topics on the agenda included improved governance, enhanced access to finance, and increased donor coordination.

On Sunday evening, January 25, the Council of the Americas hosted a reception with the U.S. State Department at the Blair House. The reception brought together high-level delegations from the Caribbean, private sector leaders from across the hemisphere, and U.S. government officials. The reception featured U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, who was introduced by COA Chairman, Ambassador John Negroponte. The secretary spoke of the importance of Caribbean energy security to the United States and the Western Hemisphere. In particular, he pointed to cooperation between the U.S. Department of Energy and the governments of Caribbean nations on the issue of energy matrix diversification and the promotion of renewable energy.

During the Caribbean Energy Security Summit on January 26, the vice president assured Caribbean countries that the United States would support its neighbors in the Caribbean. (SOUNDS LIKE A BIG STICK TO ME!--DEMETER) This is extremely important to us. It’s overwhelmingly in the interests of the United States of America that we get it right,” said Biden. He added that “this is also a very propitious moment” due to high growth rates in the United States, low oil prices, and the plummeting cost of renewable energy.

The vice president also spoke of the Americas as being the epicenter of energy for the twenty-first century, and how addressing energy security in the Caribbean impacts the rest of the hemisphere. Said Biden: “Working to promote energy security beyond our borders can be a major asset for the entire hemisphere. And it’s profoundly in the self-interest of the United States to see the Caribbean countries succeed as prosperous, secure, energy-independent neighbors—not a world apart, but an integral part of the hemisphere, where every nation is middle class, democratic and secure. It’s the first time in history that can be envisioned. You can see it if we make the right decisions.”

Following Biden’s address, Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie spoke of the challenges facing the Caribbean and how important stakeholder engagement with actors such as the United States is critical to addressing the energy situation in the region. COA then co-hosted three panel discussions, featuring high-level private and public sector representatives, to discuss best practices, multilateral solutions, and financing options for energy diversification.

Caribbean Energy Security Summit Joint Statement (FROM WHITE HOUSE)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/26/caribbean-energy-security-summit-joint-statement

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, together with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Caribbean Development Bank, European Union, Inter-American Development Bank Group, International Renewable Energy Agency, Organization of American States, and the World Bank Group:

1. Recognizing that energy security, access to energy, economic development, environmental and climate goals benefit from and contribute to sustainable, modern, clean and diversified energy sectors;

2. Reaffirming our commitment to support access to sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy services, with a particular focus on cleaner alternative energy resources , for all citizens in the region;

3. Recognizing that increased energy efficiency and more diversified, and clean energy sources can lead to improved energy security, increasing self-sufficiency, economic growth, and climate resilience as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions;

4. Recognizing that cost-effective, alternative, and renewable energy sources, can reduce energy costs, while at the same time providing increased options for countries to diversify their energy matrices;

5. Recalling the commitment at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009 to expand cooperation on energy and climate change, including through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA); and at the Sixth Summit of the Americas in 2012 to accelerate energy integration to provide every person access to the electricity they need through the Connecting the Americas 2022 (Connect 2022) initiative;

6. Recalling the outcome of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS Conference), September 2014, and the commitments taken under the SIDS Accelerated Modalities Of Action Pathway;

7. Recognizing that, although legal and regulatory reforms have been implemented in some countries to introduce renewable energy technologies and sustainable energy management approaches to attract the required investment in the Caribbean energy sector, in principle, more work on policy and regulatory issues is required to fully embrace the opportunities derived from sustainable energy;

8. Recalling national and regional energy plans, including the CARICOM Energy Policy and Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS), adopted by CARICOM in March of 2013, and the commenced negotiations in the Dominican Republic for a National Pact on Energy;

9. Recognizing that lowering energy costs can increase competitiveness in tourism, manufacturing and various other sectors of the Regional economies;

10. Recognizing that the private sector has an important role to play in developing the energy sector in the region, and that there is potential for greater public-private partnerships;

11. Recognizing the synergies and benefits of regional cooperation for the strengthening of the energy sector;

12. Noting that this strategy is in line with the objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative;

13. Recognizing the advances already made by several countries in diversifying their energy mix;

14. Recognizing our actions should support reaching a new international climate change agreement at the December 2015 UNFCCC negotiations in Paris;

15. Recalling the invitation at the UNFCCC Twentieth Conference of Parties to communicate intended nationally determined contributions well in advance of Paris in a manner that facilitates clarity, transparency and understanding; and

16. Recognizing the Caribbean is a particularly vulnerable region to climate change and has been an advocate in the fight against climate change.

We state our commitment to support the Caribbean’s transformation of the energy systems of Caribbean states, to share lessons learned through new and expanded regional information networks, to report progress in relevant fora, and to pursue the following in accordance with national laws:

1. Comprehensive, planning-based and research-driven approaches to energy transition, including implementation of pilot and demonstration projects, based on successful models so that individual clean energy projects are part of a fully integrated, climate-resilient energy transition plan toward clean sustainable energy for all.

2. For Caribbean countries, necessary and specific reforms , including recommendations from the 2013 CARICOM Energy Policy and the outcome of the 2015 Dominican Energy Pact, to support policy and regulatory environments that facilitate the introduction of new technologies favoring sustainable and clean energy that provide legal certainty for investors and improved predictability in price and supply for users.

3. Where viable, alignment of national legal and regulatory approaches to facilitate greater clean energy investment throughout the region, provided that countries can access finance and other resources on affordable terms, to set the stage for future electrical interconnection in keeping with the goals of Connect 2022.

4. Where technically and commercially feasible, promote and develop affordable: (i) no- or lower carbon electricity generation through wind, solar, geothermal power, hydropower, bioenergy, ocean energy, energy recovery from waste, and other clean energies; and (ii) energy efficiency measures. Recognizing also, that alternative fuels, such as natural gas, can play a useful bridging role.

5. Open, transparent, competitive and criteria-based processes, including liberalization where cost effective, to procure energy investment and facilitate access to finance for cleaner and climate resilient energy projects and infrastructure.

6. Data and energy information exchange and coordination with, between, and among countries and stakeholders to minimize duplication and enable the monitoring and evaluation of energy projects to maximize the impacts of efforts toward fully integrated, low carbon and climate-resilient energy transition plans.

The White House Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 26, 2015


ORIGINAL POST: http://www.democraticunderground.com/110836488

[Bacchus4.0]

1. doesn't sound all that bad n/t

[bemildred]

2. They sure can churn that babble out. nt

[Demeter]

3. Speaks to the level of desperation in the WH

[Judi Lynn]

4. Uncle Money speaks to the peons.

They learned long ago it means "Do it my way or you'll pay dearly."