Ambassador Carlos Pascual is the State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs. Secretary Clinton appointed Ambassador Pascual to this position, effective May 18, 2011. In this capacity, he advises the Secretary on energy issues, ensuring that energy security is advanced at all levels of U.S. foreign policy.
The Office of the Coordinator for International Energy Affairs’ (S/CIEA) primary goal is to integrate energy into our foreign policy agenda to advance U.S. national security interests. For the United States, energy resources remain strategic commodities and our economy relies on well functioning energy markets, strategic stocks and diversity of supply. Providing an optimal mix of fuel types in adequate volumes is necessary to meet the various needs for industry, power generation, residential heating, transportation and many other activities. To that end, the Department of State and S/CIEA have taken a whole-of-government approach to expanding supplies of oil, natural gas and alternative energy sources to ensure adequate supplies for both the United States and the global market.
Since S/CIEA’s creation, the office has worked to fulfill its mandate by engaging both energy producers and consumers. S/CIEA works with established and newly emerging energy producers to promote efficient production, management and distribution of energy products to ensure global markets function efficiently and fairly. S/CIEA also dialogues with emerging energy consumer countries to allay concerns about continued market access and cooperate on exploring development of alternative energy sources to diversify global supplies.
S/CIEA has also worked toward achieving energy security goals by implementing two whole-of-government programs in addition to ongoing bilateral discussions: the Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI) and the Global Shale Gas Initiative (GSGI). Both programs facilitate development and expansion of available resources to maximize energy access.
Producing and consuming countries both share an interest in promoting energy security because of the major implications to global economic prosperity, peoples’ wellbeing and national and international stability. S/CIEA will continue to engage with willing partners to promote energy security for the United States and the global market.
