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North American Energy Working Group (NAEWG): The North American Energy Working Group (NAEWG) was established in the spring of 2001 by the Secretary of Energy of the United States of America, the Secretary of Energy of Mexico, and the Canadian Minister of Natural Resources. The goals of the NAEWG are to foster communication and cooperation among the governments and energy sectors of the three countries on energy-related matters of common interest, and to enhance North American energy trade and interconnections consistent with the goal of sustainable development for the benefit of all. This trilateral process fully respects the domestic policies, divisions of jurisdictional authority, and existing obligations of each country.
North American Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP): On March 23, 2005, President Bush, Mexican President Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Martin introduced the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The Security and Prosperity Partnership is a trilateral effort to increase security and enhance prosperity among the United States, Canada, and Mexico through greater cooperation and information-sharing. The SPP focuses on improving joint security and enhancing collaboration in energy, transportation, financial services, technology, and business as well as enhancing stewardship of our environment, facilitating agricultural trade while creating a safer and more reliable food supply, and protecting people from disease.
SPP Energy Activities: The energy portion of the Security and Prosperity Partnership builds upon the ongoing efforts of the energy departments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico under the North American Energy Working Group (NAEWG), by seeking to promote regional integration and helping to meet the energy needs of the people of North America. The SPP/NAEWG help foster communication among the three countries in support of a North American energy market; facilitate identification of trilateral issues and mutually beneficial joint efforts; and provide a vehicle for the United States, Canada, and Mexico to implement joint resolutions to work together for the mutual benefit of the citizens of North America. Specifically, the trilateral working group explores policies, regulations and technological innovations with a view to encouraging the most optimal, efficient and sustainable development of hydrocarbons, energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean power, and nuclear energy and their related infrastructure as well as ensuring that frameworks are in place for markets to work most effectively.
The work of SPP/NAEWG falls under three broad focus areas: Market Facilitation, Technology, and Clean Energy. Under each focus area there is an evolving list of priority efforts proposed by any, or several, of the three nations, and approved by all three members. Specific expert task teams are then formed with membership from all three nations to address issues and present concrete actions.
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The following activities have occurred recently or are planned:
- In the area of energy efficiency standards, three energy performance standards have been harmonized across the three nations: freezers and refrigerators, three-phase motors, and room air conditioners. Workshops have been held on Standby Power and Transportation Efficiency. There is a commitment to further align energy efficiency standards on key consumer products; and agreements to identify specific ways to increase cooperation on research and development and reduce barriers to deployment of new technologies in a wide variety of areas, including biofuels, gas hydrates, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, clean coal, and electricity transmission.
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): The three nations have made a commitment to work together on CCS mapping. On December 2-3, 2008, in Houston, Texas, NAEWG held a trilateral workshop on CCS to discuss mapping methodology and data sharing in the area of CCS mapping for North America.
- Joint Modeling Effort: A trilateral experts group has created a model that offers a supply and demand energy outlook to 2030. The forecast maps out the future of electricity generation, oil and gas production and consumption, and coal supply and demand in each of these three countries. The modeling base case has been completed.
- Electricity Networks: Discussions have begun on smart grid cooperation and other transmission-related issues. A work plan has been developed and in September 2008, electricity representatives attended Grid Week in Washington, DC. Further efforts include possible joint work on the effective implementation of intermittent renewable generation technologies into the grid, including load management and grid stability.
- Ocean Energy: DOE and its North American neighbors are also looking at ways to harness ocean energy for electricity generation. In October 2008, representatives attended a North American Ocean Renewable Energy Colloquium at the University of Rhode Island.
- Ways to Strengthen the Market for Liquefied Natural Gas: A workshop was held in November 2007 in Mexico to explore ways to strengthen the North American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) market and make it competitive.
- The NAEWG held a Biofuels for Transportation Workshop in March 2008 in Mexico City as part of our joint efforts to build a North American Market for biofuels.
Cooperation on energy issues has been a key element of discussions among the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. since 2005. At their last meeting on April 21, 2008 in New Orleans, the countries’ leaders renewed their commitment to trilateral cooperation on energy conservation, clean energy technologies, and bringing new energy technologies to the marketplace.
The SPP/NAEWG meets regularly with the last meeting hosted by Canada in November 2007. The three countries’ energy ministers last met on July 23, 2007.
To date, the NAEWG has produced the following deliverables:
NAEWG Natural Gas Workshop Report, June 2006
North America: The Energy Picture II, January 2006
Guide to Federal Regulation of Sales of Imported Electricity in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, January 2005
North American Natural Gas Vision, January 2005
North America—Regulation of International Electricity Trade, December 2002
North American Energy Efficiency Standards and Labeling, 2002
North America: The Energy Picture, June 2002
More information on the energy group and all SPP efforts can be found at www.spp.gov.
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