Conference on Africa's energy in US

Government officials and businessmen from Africa and the USA began Tuesday a three-day conference here to debate the sustainable development of Africa's energy sector under an enhanced US-Africa partnership, the pan-African news agency PANA reported.

The conference, sponsored by the US department of energy, is attended by energy and economy ministers from about 45 African states.

Africa's enormous commercial energy resources such as oil and gas, coal and water are now largely under-exploited.

Available information shows that, though commercial production of energy in Africa has nearly doubled since 1970, the continent only accounts for about 7 percent of the world energy production.

Similarly, the continent's global share of commercial energy consumption has increased only slightly from 2 percent in 1970 to 3 percent by 1997.

The conference is to develop modalities for improving the situation in Africa with increased investment and application of appropriate technologies.