US bureau sharpens focus on ‘energy diplomacy’

The US State Department has created a new bureau to address the vital importance of energy in international affairs and diplomacy.

The Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), announced in October by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, has begun operations with three primary goals:

• To “manage the geopolitics” of today’s energy economy through diplomacy with both producers and consumers,
• To promote market policies that stimulate the development of alternative energy and green technologies, and
• To increase access to energy in developing countries and foster environmentally sustainable paths out of poverty.

“You can’t talk about our economy or foreign policy without talking about energy,” Clinton said. “With a growing global population and a finite supply of fossil fuels, the need to diversify our supply is urgent.”

Through coordination with a variety of US government agencies, the new bureau aims to work with both traditional energy exporters and emerging economies to boost international energy security and increase the sustainability of the world’s energy mix. It also plans to put a focus on transparency and good governance to ensure that “each nation’s natural wealth translates into increased prosperity for its citizens.”