US embassy cable - 03ROME2192

UNCLAS ROME 002192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR OES/EGC WATSON, FENDLEY, DE ROSA 
OES/STC ANSKE, ROTTIER 
EUR/WE BURKHEAD 
US DOE MCKEE, SOLIMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG, SENV, TSPL, IT 
SUBJECT: CARBON SEQUESTRATION LEADERSHIP FORUM (CSLF) AND 
JUNE 16-18 S&T REVIEW MEETINGS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 96689 
 
    1.  THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR DEPT AND US DOE.  SEE PARA 
6. 
 
2.  ESTCOUNS AND ECONOFF JOINED US DOE OFFICIALS MCKEE AND 
DER IN MAY 2 DISCUSSIONS WITH MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE 
ACTIVITIES (MPA) DG ALESSANDRO ORTIS AND ESTCOUNS FOLLOWED UP 
CSLF  AND RELATED ENERGY S&T ISSUES WITH ORTIS' STAFF MAY 9. 
ODDS ARE THAT MPA MINISTER MARZANO WILL NOT TRAVEL TO 
WASHINGTON FOR THE JUNE 23-25 CSLF.  AS RAISED BY ORTIS WITH 
MCKEE, MARZANO IS INTERESTED IN A LIVE VIDEO CONNECTION TO 
THE MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 24.  THE GOI 
DELEGATION WILL INCLUDE MPA, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, AND 
INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, BUT COMPOSITION IS NOT YET 
DETERMINED. 
 
3.  DURING THE MAY 2 ROUNDTABLE, MCKEE PRESENTED THE CSLF AND 
DER THE FUTUREGEN PROJECT TO AN AUDIENCE OF ABOUT 25 INDUSTRY 
AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES.  DG ORTIS SET THE STAGE BY 
SAYING THAT MPA MINISTER MARZANO HAS RETURNED FROM THE PARIS 
IEA MINISTERIAL "HYDROGENIZED".  FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, 
INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT REPS REVIEWED ITALIAN EFFORTS IN 
CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND HYDROGEN PROJECTS.  FINMECCANICA'S 
ANSALDO UNIT, ENEL, ENI, ENEA, AND THE MINISTRY FOR RESEARCH, 
UNIVERSITIES AND EDUCATION (MIUR) WERE AMONG RESPONDENTS. 
MPA IS COLLECTING A PACKAGE OF REFERENCE PAPERS WHICH POST 
WILL FORWARD TO DEPT. AND US DOE UPON RECEIPT. 
 
4.  IN SEPARATE MEETING, MCKEE, ORTIS, AND ESTCOUN DISCUSSED 
BILATERAL S&T COOPERATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CSFL AND FUTURE 
BEN,  ORTIS SAID HE HAD YET TO MEET WITH ENVIRONMENT DG CLINI 
TO SORT OUT LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION ON ENERGY ISSUES 
    WITHIN THE GOI AND UNDER THE U.S. - ITALY BILATERAL AGREEMENT 
ON CLIMATE AND THE S&T UMBRELLA AGREEMENT, WHERE SIX OR SEVEN 
SPECIFIC ENERGY ANNEXES CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH FUEL CELLS, 
CLEAN COAL, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, PHOTO VOLTAICS,  ADVANCED 
POWER SYSTEMS, AND  OTHER AREAS OF COOPERATION.  IN THE 9 MAY 
FOLLOW UP MEETING, ESTCOUNS DISCUSSED WITH MARCELLO CAPRA OF 
ORTIS' STAFF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ADDITIONAL ANNEX BETWEEN 
MPA AND USDOE ON HYDROGEN, ESPECIALLY INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. 
 
5.  CAPRA, WHO IS THE GOI POC ON ENERGY ISSUES TO BE 
DISCUSSED AT THE JUNE S&T BIENNIAL REVIEW MEETING, AGREED 
THAT THE GOI WOULD BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS COOPERATION UNDER 
THE EXISTING ANNEXES, INCLUDING GEOTHERMAL, ADDING HYDROGEN 
AS A NEW AND SPECIFIC TOPIC TO THE AGENDA OF THE ENERGY 
WORKING GROUP. 
 
6.  ACTION REQUEST:  FOR US DOE:  PLEASE PROVIDE UPDATE ON 
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION AT CSLF, AND ADVISE WHETHER 
A LIVE VIDEO LINK INTERVENTION BY MPA MINISTER MARZANO WOULD 
BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE JUNE 24 PROGRAM.  FOR DEPT. AND US 
DOE: IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO KNOW WASHINGTON'S DECISION 
ON HOW THE JUNE 16 CLIMATE BILATERAL AND JUNE 17 S&T 
BILATERAL GROUP MEETING ON CLEAN ENERGIES WILL BE COORDINATED 
TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF MPA'S NOW HIGHLY 
ENERGIZED TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME02192 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED