Shafaq News/ The Chargé d'affaires of the US embassy in Baghdad, Gregory D. LoGerfo, spoke at the Iraqi Energy Forum on June 18.

An official press release said that the diplomat underscored the strong U.S. commitment to supporting Iraq’s efforts to address its energy deficit, improve the reliability and resiliency of its electricity grid, and strengthen its business and investment climate.

"Improving the stability of Iraq’s energy sector –through regional interconnections, gas capture, and deployment of renewables– is a necessary precursor to expanding economic opportunities and improving the lives of the Iraqi people," he said.

LoGerfo highlighted U.S. efforts to help Iraq achieve energy independence, including USAID efforts to support Iraq to deploy both utility-scale and distributed renewable energy generation.

"U.S. companies are actively working to develop new projects in the energy sector with the ministries of oil and electricity," he continued, "they are reliable partners and stand ready to provide their expertise and technology to build a more robust Iraqi energy sector."