by Michele Catahay

Guam - Assistant Secretary of Interior for Insular Areas Tony Babauta applauded Governor Togiola Tulafono from the American Samoa for his recent signing of an executive order creating the American Samoa Renewable Energy Committee. The membership will work to develop and implement a strategic renewable energy plan for the territory.

It completes the informal commitment reached in Denver, Colorado in early March where Governor Tulafono, Guam Governor Felix Camacho and CNMI Governor Benigno Fitial participated in a conference at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, convened by Babauta.

It exposed the governors' to the nation's premiere renewable energy experts to develop a strategic plan for each territory. Assistant Secretary Babauta will move forward with the U.S. Department of Energy to formalize an interagency agreement to utilize the experts to work with each island's renewable energy committee to create long-term strategic energy plans.