| In the energy area, the key goals for the African region are to foster sustainable economic development through increased trade and investment, as well as sustained economic reforms. Africa is only 20% electrified . Government to government relationships to remove barriers to investment, institute market economies, implement environmental standards, and encourage efficient diversified energy use are critical. By increasing the use of innovative American technologies in Africa, we believe we can increase jobs in the U.S. energy industry and the export of hard currency-producing resources, and living standards of Africans. DOE's efforts in Africa center around bilateral cooperation with South Africa through the Sustainable Energy Committee of the Gore-Mbeki Binational Commission, chaired by Secretary Pena, with initiatives in energy policy, capacity building, renewable energy, energy efficiency, nuclear safety and fossil energy. The Department also has cooperation programs with Ghana in fossil energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, nuclear science including radiotherapy, and energy policy, as well as exchanges with Botswana, Uganda, Cote D'Ivoire, Chad, Senegal, Uganda, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, and Namibia in fossil and renewable energy. Africa is a huge market for U.S. technologies. We will continue to work with U.S. energy companies and African governments to implement sustainable energy policies and systems and capture that potential. |
