VZCZCXRO0616
PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0388/01 0490606
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180606Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2847
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/RA, SCA/A, EEB, EEB/ESC/IEC (GRIFFIN) 
DEPT PASS AID/ANE, OPIC 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR LILIENFELD AND KLEIN 
DEPT PASS OPIC FOR ZAHNISER 
DEPT PASS TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD, JICENT 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
TREASURY FOR ABAUKOL, BDAHL, AND MNUGENT 
MANILA PLEASE PASS ADB/USED 
PARIS FOR USOECD/ENERGY ATTACHE 
OSD FOR SHIVERS, SHINN 
COMMERCE FOR DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH 
 
SIPDIS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 10743 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: ENRG EFIN ETRD KPWR EAID PGOV AF
SUBJECT: AF - Request for input for New Required Reports to Congress 
on Energy. 
 
¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Kabul's response to Reftel, which 
requests input for 2 new reports to Congress on energy.  Paragraph 2 
offers a brief overview of the energy situation in Afghanistan and 
U.S. objectives.  Paragraphs 3,4,5 and 6 contain the Embassy's 
responses to questions A, B, C and D in Reftel. 
 
¶2. (U) After decades of conflict Afghanistan is now a fast-growing 
economy with little or no infrastructure to support new demands from 
the public and private sector for provision of services.  Key among 
these is reliable energy.  The nation depends largely on hydropower 
generation plants installed in the 1950-60's and limited power 
imports from its neighbors (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and 
Iran), which, at this point are completely inadequate to serve 
demand, especially during the winter months when usage (primarily 
for heat) spikes.  Private sector growth is stunted, because 
whatever power is available is provided erratically, and blackouts 
are frequent, forcing business to invest in high-cost diesel 
generation in order to operate.  U.S. priorities in the Afghan 
energy sector aim to increase stability and promote sustained 
economic development by: 
 
-- working with the host government to rehabilitate current energy 
infrastructure; 
-- helping Afghanistan ensure a reliable power supply through 
installation of domestic generation, development of domestic gas, 
coal and oil resources, construction of infrastructure to enable 
large-scale power imports from its northern neighbors (Turkmenistan, 
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan); and 
-- assisting energy and finance authorities in eliminating subsidies 
to the energy sector, improving performance, and boosting collection 
rates for energy consumption. 
 
¶3. (U) A. Sections of the Embassy working on energy matters and 
their total number of staff: 
 
-- Executive Office: Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission.  Total 
staff 3 FSOs, 2 OMSes. 
 
-- Economic Section: Economic Counselor, Deputy Economic Counselor 
and Economic officer.  Total staff 5 FSOs, 1 OMS. 
 
-- Afghanistan Reconstruction Group (ARG): One Senior Advisor for 
Energy.  Total ARG staff numbers 5 FP limited-appointment hires and 
1 OMS. 
 
-- USAID, Office of Infrastructure, Engineering and Energy (OIEE): 
Office Director and Deputy Office Director, 1 U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE) hydropower program manager, 1 Electrical 
Engineer/Program Manager, 1 Energy and Power Team Leader, 2 FSN 
Energy Specialists and 1 Budget Analyst and 1 OMS.  Total current 
staff of nine. 
 
¶4. (U) B. Positions of employees that work on energy matters and the 
percentage of time they devote to energy matters: 
 
-- Ambassador:  10 percent. 
-- Deputy Chief of Mission:  10 percent. 
-- Economic Counselor:  10 percent. 
-- Deputy Economic Counselor:  20 percent. 
-- Economic Officer:  60 percent. 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Energy:  100 percent. 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Natural Resources:  25 percent. 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Development:  5 percent. 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Private Sector Development and 
Privatization:  10 percent. 
-- USAID Country Director:  10 percent. 
 
KABUL 00000388  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
-- USAID Deputy Country Director:  10 percent. 
-- USAID Director of OIEE:  60 percent (also covers roads and 
building structures.) 
-- USAID Deputy Director of OIEE:  60 percent (also covers roads and 
building structures.) 
-- USAID TCNPCS* Energy and Power Team Leader:  100 percent. 
-- USAID USPSC** Program Manager:  100 percent. 
-- USAID USACE Program Manager/Electrical Engineer:  100 percent. 
-- USAID FSN Engineer:  100 percent. 
-- USAID FSN Engineer:  100 percent. 
-- USAID Budget Analyst:  40 percent. 
 
* Third country national personal service contractor. 
** U.S. personal service contractor. 
 
¶5. (U) C.  Description of the positions of employees and the kinds 
of work they do (as regards energy): 
 
-- Ambassador:  Engages with host government officials and donor 
country representatives on energy issues, maintains contacts with 
U.S. agencies and companies working in energy sector and directs 
mission energy policy, coordinates multilateral energy discussions. 
 
-- Deputy Chief of Mission:  Follows internal mission progress on 
energy issues, coordinates Embassy position on energy issues. 
 
-- Economic Counselor:  Meets with host government officials on 
energy issues, participates in donor coordination meetings on energy 
as needed, briefs front office on development in the sector. 
 
-- Deputy Economic Counselor:  As needed, meets with host government 
officials on energy issues, briefs front office on developments in 
the sector, participates in fixing governmental logjams on specific 
issues. 
 
-- Economic Officer:  Participates in donor coordination meetings on 
energy, tracks various U.S. and donor energy projects for the Front 
Office, drafts memos/cables on developments in energy sector, 
coordinates recent development of Embassy Energy Strategy, one of 
several Embassy representatives on Interministerial Committee on 
Energy (ICE) that coordinates donor works with Afghan Government 
priorities. 
 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Energy:  Advises Embassy, USAID and Afghan 
government on matters of energy policy, operations and project 
implementation.  Specific focus has been assuring power supply for 
Kabul and bringing system operations up to an acceptable level of 
performance.  Also includes work on cross-border energy issues. 
 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Natural Resources:  Advises Embassy, USAID 
and Afghan government on matters pertaining to hydrocarbon resource 
development. 
 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Development:  Independent 
Power Production issues, legal framework, etc. 
 
-- ARG Senior Advisor for Private Sector Development and 
Privatization:  Works with emerging Afghan private sector to 
encourage private sector involvement in energy sector as well as on 
the development of industrial parks, including provision of 
infrastructure; power/energy, also works on micro-hydro, bio-diesel, 
alternative fuels issues, etc. 
 
-- USAID Country Director:  Engages with host government officials 
and donor country representatives on energy issues, as needed, and 
provides focal point for major decision on energy-related issues. 
 
KABUL 00000388  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- USAID Deputy Country Director:  Follows USAID progress on energy 
issues, represents Country Director as needed, and participates in 
some energy-related meetings and fora. 
 
-- USAID Director of OIEE:  Provides leadership and manages energy 
activities, in addition to other infrastructure programs.  Assures 
overall program objectives are met and that programs remain on 
target.  Engages high-level host country officials on energy 
matters, as well as other donor representatives. 
 
-- USAID Deputy Director of OIEE:  Assists the Director in guiding 
and managing day to day energy activities, in addition to oversight 
of other infrastructure programs.  Engages high-level host country 
officials on energy matters, as well as other donor representatives. 
 
 
-- USAID OIEE Energy and Power Team Leader:  Manages all energy 
activities, providing oversight and management to USAID contractors. 
 Provides expert advice to Office Director and USAID Mission on all 
energy-related matters. 
 
-- USAID OIEE Program Manager/Electrical Engineer:  Ensures USAID's 
energy activities related to new power development and transmission 
are addressed and are technically sound.  Provides day to day 
management oversight with contractors. 
 
-- USAID OIEE USACE Program Manager:  Provides expert advice and 
program oversight to all hydropower-related activities, including 
transmission from generation to major centers.  Assures technical 
viability and quality control for hydropower activities. 
 
-- USAID OIEE FSN Engineer:  Provides project management to an array 
of alternative energy activities.  Performs on-going program 
monitoring and evaluation. 
 
-- USAID OIEE FSN Engineer:  Provides project management to on-going 
energy activities, as assigned.  Performs on-going program 
monitoring and evaluation. 
 
-- USAID OIEE Budget Analyst:  Tracks budget expenditures on all 
OIEE activities. 
 
¶6. (U) --1. Embassy Budget:  Personnel Costs:  Managed through State 
offices in Washington.  Program Costs:  NONE. 
 
      -- 2. ARG Budget:  Personnel Costs (from Embassy/DOS Funds): 
Managed through State offices in Washington. Program Costs:  NONE 
 
      -- 3. USAID: Personnel Costs:  Managed through USAID offices 
in Washington.  Program Costs:  164 million USD in contracts in FY 
¶2007. 
 
WOOD