Volume 1, Issue 1 April 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ONE YEAR AFTER THE 2010 E NERGY AND CLIMATE MINISTERIAL OF THE AMERICAS : FIRST ISSUE OF THE ECPA C LEARINGHOUSE NEWSLETTER One Year After the 2010 he Clearinghouse of the How does it Work? Cleaner and More Efficient Use Energy and Climate Energy and Climate Part- ECPA fosters partnerships across of Fossil Fuels: Promote clean T nership of the Americas the Americas to achieve low energy technologies to reduce Ministerial of the (ECPA) is pleased to launch this carbon economic growth and both conventional pollution and Americas: First Issue of newsletter to reach out to a development. It is a flexible the carbon footprint of fossil the ECPA Clearinghouse broad and diverse audience. In mechanism through which gov- fuels, as well as best practices Newsletter this newsletter you will find in- ernments, on a voluntary basis, on land use management. formation about ECPA and its may lead multi-country or bilat- Energy Infrastructure: Foster initiatives. eral initiatives to promote clean modernized, integrated, and Government of Panama Why ECPA? energy, advance energy secu- more resilient energy infrastruc- rity, fight energy poverty, and to Host Regional Critical At the April 2009 Summit of the ture, particularly electrical grids Americas in Port of Spain, Trini- reduce greenhouse gas emis- and gas pipelines. Energy and Climate Issues sions. ECPA initiatives can in- dad and Tobago, the leaders of volve the private sector, civil Energy Poverty: Target urban Dialogue and ECPA the Americas underscored that society and academia, interna- and rural energy poverty with energy and climate change are Meeting tional organizations such as the strategies to promote sustain- among the most important is- World Bank, and Inter-American able urban development and sues confronting our future, and institutions such as the Inter- improve access to modern clean Presidents of , they reaffirmed their commit- energy services and appropriate ment to work together toward a American Development Bank, and the United States the Organization of the Ameri- technologies in rural areas that clean energy future. Responding can improve public health and Underscore Importance to these shared challenges, U.S. can States, the Latin American Energy Organization, and others. reduce fuel wood use that bene- of ECPA President Obama invited all fits forest management. governments in the Western Seven Pillars of ECPA Hemisphere to join in an Energy The initiatives focus on seven Sustainable Forests and Land Clearinghouse to Launch and Climate Partnership of the themes: Use: Reduce emissions from New ECPA Website Americas (ECPA). President deforestation and forest degra- Obama said “our hemisphere Energy Efficiency: Promote best dation, and enhance carbon has bountiful natural resources policy practices through assis- sequestration in the land use tance in developing building ECPA Factsheet that could make renewable en- sector, including through the ergy plentiful and sustainable, codes and standards in the in- conservation and sustainable while creating jobs for our peo- dustrial and residential sectors, management of forests. as well as training for energy World Bank Releases ple.” An Energy and Climate Adaptation: Assist vulnerable Partnership of the Americas, he audits. Study on Caribbean countries and communities with said, “will help us learn from one Renewable Energy: Accelerate strategies to understand and Electricity Supply Options another, share technologies, clean energy via project support, reduce their vulnerabilities to leverage investment, and maxi- policy dialogues, scientific col- the impacts of climate change. mize our comparative laboration, and the clean energy advantage.” technology network.

GOVERNMENT OF PANAMA TO energy and start addressing cli- ergy, thereby fostering the creation will be invited to share ideas on HOST REGIONAL CRITICAL mate change challenges through of new jobs, lowering greenhouse these issues. The forum will also ENERGY AND CLIMATE ISSUES adaptation and policies to curb gas emissions, and strengthening create an opportunity to better emissions. Although a lot has been regional ties. The meeting con- understand the ECPA initiatives DIALOGUE AND ECPA M EETING Event provides opportunity for accomplished, a lot vened by the Secretariat and projects that have been devel- public, private, financial and remains to be done. of Energy of Panama will oped or are under development. non-governmental sectors to In April 2010, the minis- follow up on this dialogue. The U.S. Departments of Energy engage in open dialogue to ters of energy of the The regional dialogue and and State, the Institute of the Secretaría Nacional de address energy development Americas gathered in ECPA meeting will be held Americas and the Organization of in the Americas. Energía American States are supporting Washington DC for the Gobierno de Panamá on April 7-8, 2011 in Pa- Energy and climate have been Energy and Climate nama City. The high-level Panama’s Energy Secretariat in priorities for quite some time in Ministerial of the Americas. The event will focus on energy sector organizing the dialogue. For more and the Caribbean. senior officials analyzed ways to challenges and their impact on information, or to download the The countries have gone through further cooperation in clean en- climate change. The private sector meeting agenda go to great strides to improve access to www.ecpamericas.org.

Printed on recycled paper ECPA Clearinghouse newsletter PRESIDENTS OF BRAZIL , C HILE AND THE UNITED STATES UNDERSCORE IMPORTANCE OF ECPA ECPA F ACTSHEET The leaders of the three nations acknowledged the contributions of the Partnership The region is working to ad- This effort emphasizes urban Andean Glacier Monitoring vance the development and development and planning in Research Center Launched in deployment of innovative low-income areas of cities. Chile clean energy technologies to Given the high rate of urbani- President Obama met with the combat global climate change, zation in the Americas, sup- , Sebastian enhance national security, and port for this initiative offers Piñera, in . Both lead- advance sustainable develop- the potential to spark a signifi- Obama and Rousseff delivered a joint state- ers reiterated their countries’ ment and green growth. The ment at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasilia. cant long term reduction of commitment to pursuing clean United States, Brazil, Canada, the carbon footprint of cities. energy technologies, energy Chile, , El Salvador The presidents of Brazil and Brazil was the first country to security, economic growth, and Mexico have launched the United States underscored offer a leadership role in ECPA and environmental steward- close to 40 different initiatives the importance of ECPA at a by launching an initia- ship. Consistent with and projects throughout the joint statement delivered dur- tive to promote en- the goals of ECPA, the region. Progress is tracked and ing president Obama’s state ergy-efficient housing two countries shared on the ECPA Clearing- visit to Brazil. The leaders also and improve living launched the Andean house, managed by the OAS. recognized the relevance of conditions for low- Glacier Monitoring the project “Sustainable Urban A complete ECPA factsheet income residents. Research Center. The Planning and Energy Efficient may be downloaded at Brazil also conveyed center’s goal is to www.ecpamericas.org. Construction for Low-Income its intention to host monitor the area and Obama and Piñera at Areas of the Americas” led by an ECPA Ministerial model glacial futures WORLD BANK RELEASES Brazil. La Moneda Palace in STUDY ON CARIBBEAN Meeting in the future. Santiago, Chile. for the hemisphere. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY OPTIONS CLEARINGHOUSE TO LAUNCH NEW ECPA W EBSITE The report “Caribbean Re- Improved look and functionality will enable access to information on partners and initiatives. gional Electricity Supply Op- tions: Toward Greater Security, The ECPA Clearinghouse is Renewables and Resilience for working on the production of a the Region” explores the po- new website to serve as a plat- tential for multi-country en- form for dissemination of out- ergy development paths con- puts and outcomes of Partner- ceived as means to diversify ship initiatives implemented by the electricity mix, improve participating countries. Users reliability and deploy cleaner will be allowed to register to energy resources in the receive updates from ECPA, Caribbean. including a newsletter and in- formation on latest Partnership Home banner of future ECPA website to go live in late May. Consistent with the objectives activities. The ECPA Clearing- projects, ideas, and initiatives ment, deployment and use. of this study, the OAS is imple- house will manage the website that expand renewable energy The offices of the Clearing- menting the ECPA project and update its content. Addi- and energy efficiency markets house are located at the OAS “Promotion of a Regional Ap- tionally, initiative implemen- in the region. The OAS, through headquarters in Washington. proach to Sustainable Energy the Department of Sustainable in the Caribbean Basin ”. The ters will be allowed to upload Contact Information project updates directly. Development, contributes to project considers opportuni- this goal by managing the Mark Lambrides ties for clean energy, energy ECPA Clearinghouse Clearinghouse and developing, Chief, Energy and Climate efficiency and interconnec- At the Energy and Climate promoting and coordinating Change Mitigation tions among Caribbean islands. Symposium held in Lima in ECPA processes, engaging the Department of Sustainable It advances solutions that will June 2009, the partners of governments of the Americas Development contribute to creating sub- ECPA instructed the Organiza- in the energy and climate de- Organization of American regional electricity markets. tion of American States (OAS) bate, providing technical assis- States Information about the activi- to operate the ECPA Clearing- tance geared at identifying 1889 F St. N.W. ties of ECPA in the Caribbean, house. The goal of the Clear- challenges and solutions, and Washington, D.C. 20006 and a link to the World Bank inghouse is to enable the de- raising awareness with regard E-Mail: [email protected] study, is provided at velopment of country-lead to sustainable energy develop- Phone: +1 (202) 458-6261 www.ecpamericas.org.

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