More than 200 people from Afghanistan’s western region with an interest in energy conservation gathered in Herat to learn how to save energy in their daily lives, and particularly in industrial and commercial operations. The three-day conference and training session, which was organized by the Ministry of Energy and Water and supported by USAID, attracted a broad range of participants, including government officials, planners, managers, engineers, and production staff.

The presentations at the conference covered a range of topics, including energy conservation in the western region and in overall energy sector policy, methods for improving power factors in industrial and commercial operations, and basic techniques for achieving energy conservation in boilers, electrical motors, and other shop-floor systems. The overarching theme of the conference was that energy saved is money saved, a concept that was not lost on the businesspeople attending the event.

The Minister of Energy and Water, H.E. Ismail Khan, welcomed the participants and encouraged individuals and businesses in Herat to conserve electricity. “If we all switch off just one extra light, then one small village will have electricity.” The Minister pointed out the larger consequences of such actions for the country, saying “If we practice energy conservation and efficiency in our daily operations, we are effectively contributing energy to other users on the national grid.”

One of USAID’s goal is to foster energy independence and economic development through renewable energy resources in Afghanistan. Another important goal, reflected in this conference, is to develop alternate mechanisms to achieve energy efficiency in homes and businesses throughout the entire power system.

2011.11.03 Press Release Energy Conference (English)

2011.11.03 Press Release Energy Conference (Dari)

2011.11.03 Press Release Energy Conference (Pashto)