Appointment of Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, as Coordinator for International Energy Affairs

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today designated Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Reuben Jeffery III as the State Department’s Coordinator for International Energy Affairs. This fulfills a mandate of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. In collaboration with other U.S. government agencies, Under Secretary Jeffery will dedicate an increased share of his time and attention to the challenge of ensuring U.S. energy security.

The Department of State has positioned a number of senior officials to focus on energy policy at the direction of the Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, including the Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs; the Special Advisor to the Secretary for Alternative Energy; and the Coordinator for Eurasian Energy, in close collaboration with the energy-related efforts of other bureaus. In addition, the Administration will appoint a Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy in order to devote additional attention to this critical region.