NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY MINISTERS MEETING

Washington– The North American Energy Ministers met yesterday, in response to the call of the North American Leaders, to advance an energy agenda that expands the continent’s leadership in energy, strengthens North American energy security, supports shared economic prosperity and environmental performance. This meeting builds upon a long, productive and successful history of trilateral North American collaboration on energy issues.

At the 2014 North American Leaders’ Summit in Toluca, Mexico, Leaders affirmed that energy is a trilateral priority. They directed the Energy Ministers of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to meet in 2014 to discuss opportunities to promote common strategies on energy efficiency, infrastructure, innovation, renewable energy, unconventional energy sources, energy trade, and responsible resource development.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy of Mexico Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, and Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Greg Rickford discussed in depth a strategic vision for North America’s energy sector. Key topics included public energy data and statistics collaboration; Mexico’s energy reform, its vision, perspectives and opportunities for trilateral cooperation; and creating resilient energy infrastructure for North America.

This is a crucial time for energy in North America – production of conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas is surging in Canada and the United States, Mexico has recently enacted legislation that will revolutionize its energy sector, and renewable energy production and energy efficiency are taking hold throughout all three countries. This creates an historic opportunity to reinforce North America’s energy potential. Through our combined efforts, we hope to:

·         Promote continental energy security, integration, and collaboration;

·         Strengthen government-to-government relationships; and

·         Support business-to-business engagement in the energy sector.
Energy Ministers agreed to begin with trilateral cooperation in three strategic areas:

1)      North American energy public data, statistics and mapping collaboration;

2)      Responsible and sustainable best practices for the development of unconventional oil and natural gas; and

3)      Modern, resilient energy infrastructure for North America in all aspects – physical infrastructure as well as institutional infrastructure such as policies, regulations, workforce, innovation, practices to promote energy efficient goods and services, and sustainable technologies.
Action plans will be developed in the coming weeks to implement this cooperation, and a progress report to Leaders will be issued in December 2015.