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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks by Vivian Lowery Derryck,
at the signing ceremony to commence the regulatory partnership program between the Zambia Energy Regulation Board, Oregon Public Utility Commission, and District of Columbia Public Service Commission
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa
May 25, 2000
Thanks for inviting me to speak with you today. To us at USAID, energy is critical.
On behalf of USAID, I am very pleased to be here at the USEA to help inaugurate this regulatory partnership between the Zambia Energy Regulation Board, the Oregon Public Utility Commission, and the District of Columbia Public Service Commission.
This partnership is a hallmark for us. In the past, USAID's energy investments, technical assistance and training have focused on other regions of the world. So, as Assistant Administrator for Africa, I'm pleased to see that increasing numbers of African countries, which can benefit so directly from this assistance, are tapping into this expertise.
USAID and USEA have been working together for nearly ten years to bring U.S. energy expertise to decision-makers from developing country utilities and regulatory bodies.
We think the results are impressive: technical and managerial skills have been transferred, investment opportunities in developing markets have emerged, and utilities and regulatory bodies in our client countries have become more efficient and competitive, All of this means to us that more people have the benefits of electricity at lower prices. That for us is the bottom line.
Of course, USAID has long recognized the important role energy plays in development. Secure energy resources are vital if developing countries are to improve the opportunities for and the livelihoods of their citizens.
But - and this amazes me -- over 2 billion people are still without electricity. And this figure is growing. So what you are doing here in this partnership is particularly meaningful.
To achieve and maintain social and economic progress, developing countries economies in transition simply must expand their energy supplies.
But the wrong choices in how energy is produced or used can add to the difficulty of meeting those goals. Our priorities are to help developing countries get the energy they need without damaging the environment on which their futures depend. So, USAID takes this challenge with particular seriousness.
What does USAID do to meet these challenges?
It has been estimated that more than $100 billion of investment will be required annually over the next decade for new electricity generation capacity in developing countries. So, again this reinforces the importance of this particular partnership.
It is our belief that technical and investment decisions are best determined by the marketplace and by businesses running energy utilities. USAID thus focuses on reforming the energy sector and building the institutions that create, frame and regulate the energy sector.
The benefits are cheaper power, more dependable power supply, a strengthened private sector, expanded business opportunities, and more government resources for investment in other areas. We see energy as critical to investments in health, education, and social security and all the other factors that lead to sustainable development.
The heart of USAID's strategy is to reform legislation, regulatory policies and institutions. We hope that if we are good partners that we will create markets for clean energy technologies.
We do this to advise and train developing country energy professionals, foster business relationships, and reform energy markets.
We do much of this through our partnership program.
Since 1992, we have worked together through the USEA Energy Partnership Program to create 65 partnerships between U.S. utilities and regulatory agencies and their counterparts around the world.
In 1999, we initiated a regulatory partnership between the Maryland Public Service Commission and the Public Utility Regulatory Commission of Ghana.
Through this partnership the Ghanaians are examining staff development and capacity building, consumer service and quality of service, rate setting, and managing the regulatory process.
One important contribution of this partnership, in conjunction with related technical assistance, has been to help them develop a fair and transparent tariff methodology.
USAID is hopeful that this partnership between Zambia, the DC Public Service Commission and the Oregon Public Utility Commission is as successful and equally beneficial to all three of your organizations.
On behalf of USAID, I would like to offer my sincerest wishes for a successful and fruitful partnership.
Thank you very much.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
