UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES DATE FOR WIREC 2008
U.S. Expects Broad Participation in Renewable Energy Ministerial
WASHINGTON, October 2, 2007-State Department Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky gathered stakeholders in the renewable energy industry together today to discuss goals and outcomes for the federal government's Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) 2008.
"Renewable energy is a global priority, and advancing these technologies requires a network of collaborators from multiple industries and multiple governments," Dobriansky told renewable energy stakeholders at the State Department where participating federal agencies gathered to share details of the conference. "WIREC 2008 offers participants the opportunity for frank discussion to chart the course for meeting global energy needs of tomorrow. By tailoring the conference to address the most pressing challenges faced throughout the industry, we will be more successful in advancing renewable energy globally."
WIREC 2008 will be held at the Washington Convention Center on March 4-6, 2008. An international platform for government, private sector, and non-governmental leaders to jointly address the goal of advancing renewable energy, WIREC 2008 is the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing in 2005 and Bonn in 2004. WIREC 2008 will build on the success of the previous conferences by combining a Ministerial Meeting with other events, including a Business Conference, Trade Show Exhibition, and Official Side Events.
"WIREC 2008 will help us move forward on our energy security, climate change, air quality and sustainable development goals," said Agriculture Under Secretary Thomas Dorr as he announced www.wirec2008.gov as the official conference website. "This conference will foster increased political support and public awareness for renewable energy, new and innovative actions to promote widespread adoption of renewable energy, and advanced tools for collecting and disseminating best practices."
WIREC 2008 focuses on four pillars necessary to support renewable energy industries: Agriculture and Rural Development; Technology/Research and Development; Finance; and Commercialization. Each track will examine how public policies and private efforts can most effectively advance renewable energy across the globe. WIREC 2008 will address many forms of renewable energy, including biofuels, solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.
Information on how stakeholders can participate in various levels of WIREC 2008 can be found at www.wirec2008.gov .
