WA Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan said the forum – which included presentations from White House Council on Environmental Quality chairman James Connaughton and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer – allowed WA companies to reach out to influential US stakeholders.
“The Carpenter Government believes that technologies and policies being developed in WA can play an important part of the global climate change solution,” Logan said.
“With this in mind, we are actively seeking US partners to develop and commercialise the most promising of our initiatives and maximise the opportunity for WA companies.”
Logan said the forum was designed to provide an overview of the current situation in global energy markets and examine the challenge of meeting increasing energy needs, while also addressing the key issues of energy security, climate change, greenhouse gas intensities and air quality.
Panellists included Murdoch University director of environment Professor Steve Halls – a strong advocate of biofuels who is involved in trials to produce biodiesel from algae.
WA industry groups involved in the forum included Orbital Corporation, Hythane, Seapower Pacific and Carnegie Innovative Energy.
These companies demonstrated their initiatives to help alleviate the climate change crisis at a pre-forum breakfast hosted by the WA Government.
Logan said energy would also be the focus for an economic briefing in Houston on January 26, which will be hosted by the WA Government and the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia.
The briefing is expected to highlight hydrocarbon opportunities in WA.
Logan said the potential for hydrocarbon projects in WA was huge and the State Government was keen to promote this to US stakeholders who might be interested in investing in the state.
Research projects such as the WA Energy Research Alliance, which combines the research expertise of the University of WA, CSIRO Petroleum and Curtin University of Technology to provide a leading oil and gas research centre, will also be discussed at the briefing in Houston.
