U.S. envoy for international energy affairs travels to El Salvador

Amos Hochstein, the U.S. Secretary of State’s Special Envoy for International Affairs, will travel to El Salvador, where he will meet with Central American Integration System energy ministers and other regional electricity institutions this week.
 
During his time in El Salvador on Tuesday and Wednesday, Hochstein will discuss U.S.-Central American energy cooperation, including the Connecting the Americas 2022 initiative.

Endorsed by heads of state in a Cartagena Summit declaration, the initiative supports the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, involving all governments of the Western Hemisphere, the private sector, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank and the Organization of American States. The partnership calls for  a regional electricity market, energy sector reform, and better regulatory and investment frameworks to expand access to clean energy and electricity in general in the Western Hemisphere.

Hochstein's meetings will help set the stage for the initiative, as well as the U.S.-Caribbean and Central American Energy Security Task Force, which also was announced as part of the Cartagena Summit in April.