The US State Department Bureau of Energy Resources’ (ENR) Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Energy Diplomacy, Robin Dunnigan, yesterday met with Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson to discuss possible collaboration on the energy sector here.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that Dunnigan stated that the United States is keen on pushing sustainable energy programmes and initiatives especially in the Caribbean.
To this end, the release said that she invited the Minister and his team for a visit to the United States.
“We want to put together a range of experts for you from the oil and gas side to electricity grid operators…you can increase access in parts of the country which do not have and you can create a wider grid. You are going to have a huge agenda, so please think of us as a resource. I’d like to think that we have a lot of common interest and we can create a sustainable path to energy conservation,” Dunnigan told the Ministers.
Trotman disclosed that the government has taken the decision to upgrade the Upstream Gas and Oil Policy which was crafted some two years ago. He disclosed that the Government has invited the Commonwealth, which had helped in constructing the Policy to return to the country for it to be upgraded.
This team, the release said, is scheduled to return to Guyana in November in this year for the new policy to be drafted and if legislative measures are needed, then these will be crafted. The policy document represents Guyana’s first attempt at setting out specific policy objectives and implementation measures for the exploration and potential development of upstream oil and gas resources found here.
The meeting, which took place yesterday at the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) Boardroom on Brickdam, included Advisor on Sustainable Development at the Department, Clayton Hall, Senior Energy Advisor at the US State Department, Daniel Birns, James Bjorkman, Political and Economic Counselor at the US Embassy, Frisco McDonald, Economic and Political Counselor, US Embassy and Theresa Gaime, Technical Officer at the NRE.
