Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
U.S. talks with other countries to advance clean energy are safe from any potential rollback under a new administration, a State Department energy official said.
Why it matters: Global climate accords and decarbonization initiatives have come under fire from former President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.
Driving the news: The agency's Bureau of Energy Resources is ramping up efforts to expand dialogue with countries about the importance of decarbonization as energy demand sharply rises in countries in Africa and Asia.
- "At the end of the day, there is broad support for the notion that energy security is national security," said Kimberly Harrington, deputy assistant secretary for energy diplomacy.
- She declined to comment directly on the U.S. election.
Zoom in: Harrington spoke with reporters as the agency prepared to host Wednesday's inaugural U.S.-Nigeria Strategic Energy Dialogue.
- There could be "tweaks" to the way future administrations decide to assist other countries, "but we've seen a lot of durability in these dialogues," she said.
Context: Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and congressional Republicans this year attacked the International Energy Agency for becoming an "'energy transition' cheerleader."
