I would like to thank Minister Calenda and our Italian hosts for their hard work in preparing this Ministerial, and for their hospitality. I was proud to represent the United States today, and I look forward to working with our G-7 partners in the years ahead. The United States is committed to ensuring universal access to affordable and reliable energy in order to promote economic growth and energy security. I discussed with my fellow Ministers that the Trump Administration believes that economic growth and the environment can successfully go hand-in-hand. An example of this success is my experience as a Governor when we made good policy decisions that grew our economy, and added 4 million new residents to my state. At the same time, we reduced our emissions and improved our environment.
As the IEA shared with us during the meeting, renewables will continue to have an important role but traditional sources are still needed for energy and economic security into the foreseeable future. Therefore, we believe it is wise for countries to use and pursue highly efficient energy resources. They include: High efficiency, low-emission coal and natural gas with adequate financing from multi-lateral development banks and private sector investment. Advanced civil-nuclear technologies that are proliferation resistant, produce little to no waste and ensure safety. Innovation is also a top priority for the Trump Administration. We are committed to developing, deploying and commercializing breakthrough technologies and developing the necessary policies that will help renewables become competitive with traditional sources of energy.
The IEA also shared the major impact that natural gas, including U.S. LNG exports, will have on energy security and environmental quality. This will benefit consumers. With them in mind, we can and should work to put in place sensible policies that unlock the energy potential in each of our member countries. And by doing so, we will take major steps towards ensuring energy and national security not just among our member countries, but for our friends and allies as well.
