The Americas Business Dialogue (ABD) helped to facilitate several activities to promote public-private engagement. The culmination of these activities was a plenary session between heads of delegations and CEOs of energy companies doing business in Latin America and the Caribbean.
For the first time in the series of ECPA ministerial meetings, the gathering included a plenary session with representatives of the private sector who talked to ministers about how governments can lay a strong foundation for investment and innovation in energy. Private sector exchanges with country heads of delegations focused on three main topics: New Regulatory Frameworks for Grid Flexibility, Role of Natural Gas in the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Transition, and Regional Integration and Interconnection. Jamaica’s Minister of Energy, Science and Technology, Fayval Williams, who chaired the session, called the dialogue with the private sector “engaging.”
Each of the three topics –grid flexibility, natural gas, and integration– will be the object of three 75-minute virtual dialogues to be conducted from September through November 2020. During each month, one topic will be developed, with one virtual meeting being held per week on the same day and time, to allow in-depth engagement while acknowledging the limitations of the virtual format. Each session of the virtual dialogues will include a brief presentation by experts to frame the conversation, a presentation from ABD members about private sector views on the issue and a moderated conversation between companies and government officials. The focus shall be placed on concrete actions that government may adopt on each of the topics to advance the implementation of private sector recommendations.
Tentative Session Format
00:00 – 00:05 | Welcome and Introductions |
00:05 – 00:15 | Expert Presentation |
00:15 – 00:30 | ABD Presentation on Recommendations |
00:30 – 01:05 | Public-Private Dialogue on Implementation and Private Sector Support |
01:05 – 01:15 | Next Steps |
As the engagement is expected to take place at the technical level, governments will be represented at the Secretary level or below, with submission of conclusions to be disseminated to Ministers and Vice-Ministers at the end of the process.
As necessary and relevant, regulators, system operators, utilities, system planners, independent system operators and experts from other institutions –including ECLAC, OLADE, Comisión de Integración Energética Regional and PARLATINO– may be invited to participate or speak at the virtual dialogues.
The virtual dialogues will address specific issues of regional relevance with regard to each topic. The annexes to this document describe in more detail each of the meetings.