The Western Hemisphere faces both challenges and opportunities in energy policy. Key reforms have facilitated investment in oil, natural gas and renewable energy in many countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and parts of Central America and the Caribbean. However, upcoming presidential elections in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, as well as the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela, create uncertainty about the sustainability of these reforms and the region’s production outlook. The United States remains a key market and growing supplier for trade in oil, natural gas and electricity with Latin America. But US policy changes under the Trump administration may also have implications for energy trade and cooperation with Latin America, from the possible energy impacts of revising NAFTA to oil sanctions as a potential political tool against the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Will Latin American oil and gas and renewables sectors see increased investment and production due to energy reforms? What are the opportunities for enhancing energy cooperation and integration between the United States and Latin American countries?

The Latin America Energy Conference will convene government officials from Latin America and the United States, corporate executives, and international and non-governmental organizations to discuss the most critical energy policy issues in the region. The event will be on the record.

Follow this event on Twitter at #DialogueEnergy and @The_Dialogue.

Agenda

8:30am – 8:45am       Registration & Opening Remarks

A light breakfast will be served.

Michael Shifter, President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)

8:45am – 9:15am       Keynote Address

Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC), United States House of Representatives (@RepJeffDuncan)

9:15am – 9:45am       Keynote Address

Sue Saarnio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, US Department of State (@EnergyAtState)

9:45am – 10:00am       Coffee Break

10:00am – 11:30am       Panel: Challenges to Attracting Upstream Investment

Panelists:

• RoseAnne Franco, Head of Oil & Gas Risk, Verisk Maplecroft (@_roseannefranco)
• José Vicente Zapata Lugo, Partner, Holland & Knight, Colombia (@Holland_Knight)
• Risa Grais-Targow, Director, Latin America, Eurasia Group (@risaclaire)
• Hector Castro, Representative, Mexico’s Ministry of Energy, Embassy of Mexico (@castrovhector)

Moderator: 

• Lisa Viscidi, Director, Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@lviscidi)

11:30am – 11:45am       Coffee Break

11:45am – 1:00pm       Panel: Gas and Renewable Energy in Latin America

Panelists:

• Ariel Yépez, Energy Division Chief, Inter-American Development Bank (@BIDenergia)
• Tomás González, former Minister of Mines and Energy of Colombia; Representative of Colombia, International Monetary Fund (@tomasge)
• Adam Borison, Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group (@BRGexpert)

Moderator: 

• Samantha Gross, Fellow, Foreign Policy, Energy Security and Climate Initiative, Brookings Institution (@BrookingsFP)

1:00pm       Closing Remarks

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Energy & Resources Committee