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DE RUEHC #6870/01 0741437
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141432Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 9150
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0123
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC 9984
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC 3901
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC 3167

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 026870 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG TRGY KGHG KPAO KSCA XX
SUBJECT: WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY 
CONFERENCE (WIREC), MARCH 4-6, 2008: WRAP-UP REPORT AND 
ACTION REQUESTS 
 
REF: A) STATE 9421   B) STATE 9413 
 
¶1.  Action requests in paras 12 and 13. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2.  Summary:  The Washington International Renewable 
Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) and the co-located but 
separately managed side events, trade show, and 
business conference eclipsed expectations.  Some 
3,000 delegates from 118 countries, including more 
than 100 Ministers, attended the conference, at which 
the President and four U.S. Cabinet members gave 
keynote addresses.  More than 100 top-level speakers 
contributed to the lively interaction among 
governments, industry, and stakeholder groups. 
During the conference, governments, industry 
and stakeholder groups made more than 100 pledges for 
the accelerated uptake of renewable energy. 
Department appreciates posts efforts on behalf of 
WIREC particularly the encouragement of ministerial- 
level delegations, and following-up with host 
governments to make substantial commitments to the 
Washington International Action Program (WIAP).  At 
the pledge plenary on March 6, it was decided to 
keep the WIAP open for additional pledges until 
April 4, 2007.  Since the close of WIREC, we have 
received substantial pledges from Rwanda, St. Kitts 
& Nevis, and the National Association of State Energy 
Officials (NASEO).  Department requests that posts 
follow-up with their host governments to encourage 
more pledges.  Paras 12 and 13 contain discrete action 
requests for posts that received formal invitations 
for the host government to attend WIREC and for posts 
that did not.  End Summary. 
 
WIREC EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATONS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3.  The Washington International Renewable Energy 
Conference was held from March 4-6 in Washington, D.C., 
at the Washington Convention Center.  WIREC 2008 
consisted of a Ministerial level meeting, a business 
conference, a trade show, and official side events. 
Each WIREC component exceeded the expectations of 
its respective organizers.  The WIREC Ministerial 
meeting attracted 3,000 delegates from 118 countries. 
Approximately, 100 Ministers, two Deputy Prime Ministers 
and one Vice President attended.  The Ministerial sessions 
were led by more than one hundred leading speakers, 
including a keynote address by President Bush on the 
morning of March 5.  More than 200 media registered for 
the Ministerial and international coverage was extensive. 
Participants attended over 25 plenary and concurrent 
thematic sessions which featured interactive sessions, 
several led by Ministers, on WIREC's four themes: market 
adoption and finance, agriculture and rural development, 
sub-national authorities, and research and development. 
The WIREC agenda and presentations by many of the speakers 
can be found on the official WIREC website 
www.WIREC2008.gov. A summary of the WIREC 2008 proceedings 
can be found at www.iisd.ca/ymb/wirec2008/. 
 
¶4.  The trade show attracted 242 leading renewable energy 
exhibitors from all over the globe.  250 speakers led the 
business conference, covering recent developments in wind, 
solar, biomass, hydo, geothermal, biomass and biofuels. 
Over 80 official side events took place at the 
conference.  These co-located, parallel events attracted 
an additional 4,000 registered participants. 
 
WIREC OUTCOMES:  PLEDGES TO ACCELERATE THE UPTAKE OF 
RENEWABLE ENERGY 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5.  In addition to the quality of the speakers, the 
audience, and their interactions in both formal and 
informal settings, WIREC achieved several other 
important outcomes.  By the end of the WIREC 
 
STATE 00026870  002 OF 003 
 
SUBJECT: WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY 
CONFERENCE (WIREC), MARCH 4-6, 2008: WRAP-UP REPORT AND 
ACTION REQUES 
conference, countries and other major stakeholders, 
including local authorities, companies, and civil 
society from more than 40 countries, had made more 
than one hundred significant pledges to take 
specific, quantifiable actions to accelerate the 
uptake of renewable energy in line with WIREC's 
vision statement. 
 
¶6.  Pledges were highlighted on the final day at the 
pledge plenary session.  DOE Assistant Secretary Andy 
Karsner provided an overview of the pledge process, 
noted that the US had fulfilled the pledges it had 
made at the 2004 Bonn Renewables Conference, and 
outlined the pledges that the US was making at WIREC. 
Karsner noted that the pledges that could be made as 
part of the Washington International Action Program 
(WIAP) would be accepted until April 4, 2008. 
 
¶7.  After Karsner finished his presentation, 
U/S Dobriansky called on a representative group of 
Ministers whose countries had made significant 
pledges to briefly discuss their renewable energy 
initiatives.  Among the countries recognized were 
Jordan, Canada, Denmark, Cape Verde, Brazil, 
New Zealand, Afghanistan, Norway, and Germany. 
 
WIREC OUTCOMES: REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Another key outcome was the comprehensive 
presentation by Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister of Minerals 
and Energy of South Africa, of the regional 
consultations that the Renewable Energy and Energy 
Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) organized in Africa, 
Latin America and Australia, prior to WIREC 2008. 
Minister Sonjica observed that Africa's hydropower 
potential remained untapped.  She emphasized that 
many developing countries lack renewable energy 
goals, suitable financing, business models and 
enabling policy frameworks.  She noted that many 
governments do not provide a level playing field 
for renewable energy with traditional energy sources. 
She highlighted the potential role that renewables 
can play to address energy security, poverty 
alleviation, climate change, and the negative effects 
of increasing traditional fuel prices.  A copy of the 
REEEP report will be included in the official 
Conference report which we plan to distribute 
to posts by Spring 2008. 
 
WIREC OUTCOME: INFO TOOL 
------------------------ 
 
¶9.  One of the major outcomes of WIREC was to provide 
an information tool kit that will enable users to 
access information on best practices in renewable 
energy that deal with WIREC's focal themes.  To 
facilitate this,the WIREC team worked with reegle, the 
information gateway for renewable energy and energy 
efficiency, www.reegle.info  Reegle is a unique state of 
the art tool, allowing for fast and user friendly access 
to updated and relevant renewable energy information for 
use by all interested parties. 
 
NEXT HOST: INDIA 
------------------ 
 
¶10. India's offer to host the next global renewable 
energy conference in early 2010 was another key 
outcome of the WIREC conference. 
 
WASHINGTON THANKS EMBASSIES FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF 
WIREC 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶11.  Washington agencies want to recognize and express 
appreciation for the fundamental role that Embassies 
played in the successful outcomes of WIREC.  Your 
diligent work convinced many governments to field 
excellent ministerial-level delegations.  Furthermore, 
Embassy suggestions for invitations enriched the global 
representation of civil society at WIREC.  In many cases, 
Embassies assisted delegates and speakers with necessary 
logistical arrangements and travel documentation.  We 
also want to recognize posts for their tireless and 
creative efforts with host governments that undoubtedly 
 
STATE 00026870  003 OF 003 
 
 
ACTION REQUESTS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶12.  Action Request for Posts Who Received Formal 
Invitations for Host Governments to Attend WIREC:  As we 
have provided an additional window for countries to make 
pledges until April 4, we ask posts in countries that 
attended WIREC, but have not yet made a pledge, to 
consider making one.  The current list of countries and 
other stakeholders that have made a pledge can be found 
on the Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21) website 
at www.ren21.net/wiap/wirec.  Ren21, our international 
partner for WIREC, has agreed to follow-up on the pledges 
and report results at the Indian global renewable energy 
conference in 2010.  Pledges are quite simple to make and 
we urge countries to make the pledge on-line by going to 
the home page of the official WIREC website 
www.wirec2008.gov and clicking on the green pledge button. 
We are particularly interested in posts demarching at an 
appropriate level the following MEM countries to consider 
a pledge for inclusion in the WIAP: China, South Africa, 
India, Korea, and Mexico.  We would appreciate a cable 
response from these posts on the results of these 
demarches.  End Action Request. 
 
¶13.  Action Request for Posts Who Did Not Receive Formal 
Invitations For Host Governments to Attend WIREC:  At the 
discretion of post, posts in countries that did not receive 
formal invitations to WIREC may also elect to approach the 
host government, or other stakeholders in-country as 
appropriate, about the possibility of a WIREC pledge during 
the additional window for countries to make pledges until 
April 4.  The current list of countries and other 
stakeholders that have made a pledge can be found on the 
Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21) website at 
www.ren21.net/wiap/wirec.  Ren21, our international partner 
for WIREC, has agreed to follow-up on the pledges and 
report results at the Indian global renewable energy 
conference in 2010.  Pledges are quite simple to make 
and we urge countries to make the pledge on-line by 
going to the home page of the official WIREC website 
www.wirec2008.gov and clicking on the green pledge 
button.  End Action Request. 
 
POC FOR QUESTIONS 
----------------- 
 
¶14.  For additional information about WIREC 2008 and the 
pledge process, contact OES Special Assistant Camille Hill 
at HillCD2@state.gov and consult reftels and the official 
WIREC website at www.wirec2008.gov. 
 
¶15.  Minimize considered. 
RICE