The Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) released the latest issue of the bimonthly ECPA Clearinghouse Newsletter, which provides highlights of a very active period of meetings during September-October 2012 on grid connection, energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
14 November 2012: The Clearinghouse for the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) has released the latest issue of its bimonthly ECPA Clearinghouse Newsletter. The Organization of American States (OAS) serves as the ECPA Clearinghouse.
The first portion of the newsletter provides briefs on several recent regional events related to energy and climate issues, leading with the 27 September 2012 meeting of Western Hemisphere Foreign Ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss Connecting the Americas 2022 (“Connect 2022”), an ECPA initiative launched by the Colombian Government at the Sixth Summit of the Americas, which seeks to increase transnational electricity links as a way to expand access to energy and increase markets for renewable energy.
Briefs are also provided on: the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) Renewable Energy Forum 2012 held 17-19 September in Bermuda; the first Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC 2012) held 17-18 September in Costa Rica; the Seminar on Science, Technology and Innovations for an Energy Efficient Development of Central America, held 10 September in Costa Rica; and a 24-26 September technical exchange mission between Mexico and El Salvador on energy efficiency.
The rest of the newsletter previews two events scheduled for after the newsletter went into production, namely the 15-17 October Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) 2012 held in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the 14 November Regional Symposium on Energy Efficiency and 14 November Energy Efficiency Pillar Roundtable, both held in Lima, Peru.
The ECPA is a flexible and voluntary mechanism through which governments may lead multi-country or bilateral initiatives to promote clean energy, advance energy security, fight energy poverty, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner and more efficient use of fossil fuels, energy infrastructure, energy poverty, sustainable forests and land use, and adaptation. Under the ECPA, the lead and/or participating governments and public and private sector partners contribute resources to implement the initiatives. [ECPA Clearinghouse Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 6]