Participants from fourteen countries of Southeast Europe and the Caucasus as well as from the United States, convened June 3 and 4, 2010 at the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey for the Conference on Energy Efficiency. Participants explored the central role of energy efficiency in the achievement of energy security and economic competitiveness. Speakers revealed best practices, policies and innovative technologies that are essential to limiting energy usage and reducing related expenditures.

Organizers for the Conference were the U.S. Department of Energy and the American-Turkish Council. The co-host was TAIK of DEIK. Over the course of two days, many distinguished government ministers and business leaders, as well as energy experts, made significant contributions to this regional dialogue on achieving key energy efficiency objectives in the industrial, commercial, public and residential sectors. Attendees included high-level government officials, business executives, NGO representatives and researchers in the field of energy efficiency from the region, as well as from the US and EU.

Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz; Croatia’s Minister of Economy, Labor, and Entrepreneurship Duro Popijac; Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Traycho Traychov; Macedonia’s Minister of Economy Fatmir Besimi; and Georgia’s First Deputy Minister of Energy Mariam Valishvili opened the conference with remarks on energy efficiency policies and opportunities in their countries. This panel was followed by presentations by U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi; IEA Executive Deputy Director Ambassador Richard Jones, and REEEP Director General Marianne Osterkoorn, along with Mario Caivano of the EU Delegation to Turkey. These leaders spoke about how the US, EU and other regions are responding to energy efficiency challenges.

During the two day sessions other headliners included officials from the United Nations Development Program, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the US Trade and Development Administration. Representatives from local and international NGOs and academia, joined executives from businesses such as Honeywell, Philips, GE, AES, Foster Wheeler, Enel, Greenmax Capital, and many others with excellent, substantive presentations. The attendance of so many high-level officials from Turkey, United States and the region was a testament to the strong interest – both in the region and beyond – in achieving a clean energy future through energy efficiency. Discussions are already underway concerning next steps toward achieving greater energy efficiency through regional collaboration and public-private partnerships. Financing institutions and technical experts see the countries of this region as significant, potential markets for clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.

We would like to thank the Conference sponsors AES, GE, Aygaz, Opet, Tupras, EIE, UNDP, BP, METKA, Calik Enerji, Gap Insaat, Istanbul 2010 and media partner CNN Turk for their contributions and support. We also would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to the speakers, volunteers, TABA-Amcham and other participants for having made this event an outstanding success!