WASHINGTON - A number of notables are expected to participate in the first major international renewable energy conference sponsored by the United States government. The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) will garner cabinet-level participation from the U.S. government, including Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman as well as the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They’ll join leaders from around the world to address such topics as the benefits of large-scale renewable energy deployment for energy security, climate change, air quality, and economic growth, as well as the policy options and best practices to encourage and enable accelerated renewable energy deployment. They will also advance the networks and partnerships needed to explore and initiate renewable energy projects.

WIREC 2008 is comprised of a Ministerial-level meeting co-located with the Trade Show at WIREC 2008 and Business Conference, both organized by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) with the participation of 14 domestic and international renewable energy trade associations. The U.S. government has also launched the Washington International Action Program, which will collect domestic and international pledges to accelerate the global use of renewable energy. The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) will support WIREC 2008 by following up on the implementation of the pledges in the coming years.

WIREC 2008 will be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on March 4-6. For more information, visit www.wirec2008.gov.

Publication date: 02/18/2008