U.S. Promotes Energy Security through Regional Clean Coal Partnership

September 16 , 2008

KOLKATA – Today's “Regional Clean Coal Partnership” workshop organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kolkata provided a forum for discussions on the need to enhance energy security in South Asia.

Delivering her keynote address, U.S. Consul General in Kolkata Beth A. Payne said, “To augment regional energy security, it is important for the countries to share experiences and best practices. This workshop offers opportunities for both formal and informal networking to facilitate regional answers to the clean coal energy challenge facing all of South Asia.”

Reiterating the need for widespread regional energy trade and markets, Srinivasan Padmanaban, Director of the South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy program said, “Regional energy markets can compensate for the mismatch between energy demand growth and energy resource endowments, where relatively smaller economies like Bhutan and Nepal, with excess energy resources, can support other countries in the region, which have energy demand growth far outstripping domestic supply”.