Secretary Perry convened a U.S.-Africa Energy Roundtable during CERAWeek 2018 in Houston as a way to build connections, relationships, and commercial opportunities among U.S. and African counterparts. The meeting brought together senior U.S. and African government officials as well as representatives from U.S. companies.  The U.S. government delegation included officials from the Department of Energy (DoE), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the Export-Import Bank (EXIM), and USAID’s Power Africa initiative. The African delegations were led by ministers from Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, and Uganda.

Secretary Perry welcomed the opportunity for the United States to partner with governments in Africa. He also highlighted the importance of access to reliable and affordable energy for the continent and the key role that natural gas could play in the development of African economies. Later in the Roundtable, government officials were joined by representatives from U.S. energy companies actively engaged in Africa.