The growth rate of crude oil and natural gas demand in the United States has outpaced the growth rate of the country’s crude oil and natural gas production over the last 20 years. This widening gap is projected to accelerate in the future. As shown in figure 1, EIA forecasts that this trend for crude oil will continue through 2030. Natural gas demand, as shown in figure 2, has similarly outpaced natural gas production, and EIA forecasts that this trend will also continue. This widening gap between U.S. domestic energy production and consumption of oil and natural gas has focused attention on the importance of these commodities to the U.S. economy. The United States’ most recent “National Energy Policy” report, issued in May 2001, outlines several U.S. energy security objectives that are relevant for international energy cooperation. The report states that the United States should work cooperatively with key countries and institutions to expand sources and types of supply, enhance the transparency and efficiency of markets, strengthen U.S. capacity to respond to disruptions, promote international trade and investment in the energy sector, and enhance emergency preparedness, among other goals. Several recommendations outlined in the “National Energy Policy” report provide guidance for the United States as it engages in multilateral and bilateral forums and discussions designed to enhance U.S. energy security, such as the following: Work with the IEA to ensure that member states fulfill their stock-holding commitments and encourage major oil-consuming countries that are not IEA members to consider strategic stocks as an option for addressing potential supply disruptions; Work with producer and consumer country allies and the IEA to craft a more comprehensive and timely world oil data reporting system; Use membership in multilateral organizations, such as APEC, and bilateral relationships to implement clear, open, and transparent rules and procedures governing foreign investment and reduce barriers to trade and investment; Engage in a dialogue through NAEWG to develop closer energy integration among Canada, Mexico, and the United States; and Assist U.S. companies in their dialogue with Russia on investment and trade and improve the overall investment climate. The United States pursues energy cooperation through international energy forums that meet specific cooperative purposes. These forums range from formal institutions with binding obligations to regional associations to more informal gatherings designed to facilitate a frank exchange of information. Information related to these forums is summarized below in table 1. IEA was established in November 1974 by most of the members of OECD, the major industrialized democracies that were generally also the largest consumers of oil, and today has 26 members. It was a collective response to energy security concerns arising from the oil embargo imposed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) the previous year to reduce the vulnerability of IEA members to a major disruption in oil supplies. IEA’s primary mission was to respond to any future oil crisis through a binding emergency preparedness system that established emergency oil reserves equivalent to 90 days of members’ net imports, countering any future threat of an oil embargo. In addition, it collects and analyzes oil market data in order to increase oil market information and transparency; assesses member countries’ domestic energy policies and programs; makes projections based on differing scenarios; and prepares studies and recommendations on specialized energy topics. IEA’s goals have evolved over the years as the energy market has changed; today it focuses its emergency planning less on the threat of embargoes and more on supply disruptions that might arise from natural disasters, wars, or terrorist acts. More importantly, as the structure of the oil market has changed over the years, IEA’s emergency response measures have also evolved from a government emergency allocation program to market- based measures, according to a DOE official. IEA’s release of oil reserves in response to Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 is an example of its current focus. In addition to emergency preparedness measures, IEA also emphasizes outreach to nonmember countries, reducing dependence on oil through alternative energy and advanced technology, and integrating environmental and energy policies. Recently, IEA has also recognized that it needs to enhance its expertise related to the growing global natural gas market. IEA is an autonomous international organization based in Paris, France, created within the framework of the OECD in order to implement the treaty establishing it. IEA’s main decision-making body is the Governing Board, composed of senior energy officials from each member country and meeting about four times per year. Day-to-day operations are conducted by the IEA Secretariat, headed by an Executive Director and comprising a professional staff of about 150 energy experts drawn from member countries. IEA also receives the input of the IEA Industry Advisory Board, which has private sector representatives from member countries and meets three to four times a year. The United States is significantly involved in IEA activities, according to U.S. and IEA officials. The Deputy Executive Director is traditionally an American. The DOE Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs and the Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Sanctions, and Commodities both serve on the Governing Board and play an active role. U.S. energy officials participate on almost every standing group and committee as either a Chair or Vice-chair. In addition, the United States has historically provided about 25 percent of IEA’s annual budget, which amounted to $5.5 million in 2006, according to a Department of State official. The APEC Energy Working Group, comprised of 21 Asian Pacific economies accounting for 60 percent of world energy demand, is a voluntary regional effort that seeks to build consensus on energy policy issues, primarily through sharing best practices and technology insights. This working group includes both net energy consuming countries, such as the United States, Japan, and China, and net energy producing countries, such as Russia and Indonesia. It was launched in 1990 to develop a program for energy cooperation. It seeks to maximize the energy sector’s contribution to the region’s economic and social well-being, while mitigating the environmental effects of energy supply and use. Its objectives include strengthening the security and reliability of affordable energy to all members, and promoting clean and efficient technologies and the efficient use of energy to achieve both economic gains and environmental enhancement. APEC Energy Ministers’ meetings, generally held every 2 years, provide the Energy Working Group with political guidance regarding its activities. The APEC Energy Working Group has its own Secretariat in Australia, which has been financially underwritten and staffed by the Australian government. The Energy Working Group, generally comprised of member government energy officials, meets twice a year. It receives an update on the activities of the five expert groups, which focus on clean fossil energy, efficiency and conservation, energy data and analysis, new and renewable energy technologies, and minerals and energy exploration and development. It also guides the work of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, an international organization based in Tokyo that receives the bulk of its financial support from the Japanese government. Finally, it is advised by the Energy Working Group Business Network, which provides private sector perspective on key energy issues affecting the region. The APEC Energy Working Group fosters discussion of members’ energy policies and planning priorities, sharing basic energy demand and supply outlook data, considering regional energy policy implications, and responding to wide-reaching energy-related issues. Recent efforts include its Energy Security Initiative, which comprises both short-term measures designed to respond to temporary energy supply disruptions and longer term policy responses designed to address the broader challenges facing the region’s energy supply. It has also focused on development of the Asia- Pacific natural gas market, particularly for liquefied natural gas (LNG). The United States generally sends two delegates from DOE’s Office of Policy and International Affairs and an observer from the Department of State to the Energy Working Group meetings. DOE staff also participate on the various expert groups. NAEWG is a trilateral regional forum—including the United States, Canada, and Mexico—focused on developing an open, efficient, and transparent North American energy market. The forum pursues this focus by emphasizing efforts such as greater regulatory cooperation, encouraging energy data and information exchange, collaborating on energy science and technology, and examining natural gas trade and interconnections. NAEWG was established and initially led by the three Energy Ministers of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in its inaugural meeting in June 2001. Natural Resources Canada, the Mexican Secretariat of Energy, and the U.S. DOE jointly chair NAEWG, with day-to-day U.S. leadership now provided at the Assistant Secretary level. DOE’s Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs is the U.S. lead, while both the Department of Commerce and the Department of State support the effort at the Deputy Assistant Secretary level. The agenda of work identified at the ministerial level is carried out by nine expert working groups. Members of these expert working groups share their policy, regulatory, and technical expertise and energy statistics from the three countries. According to DOE officials, the products of this work are enhanced regulatory cooperation, such as on project siting issues; workshops on various energy issues; and joint public written documents produced by the expert working groups. For example, in 2005, NAEWG published the “North America Natural Gas Vision,” a report addressing the region’s natural gas regulations and policies, production and consumption, trade, transportation, and supply and demand projections. Each expert working group also consults informally with energy industry representatives to enable numerous subject area workshops and to obtain private sector input on an issue area. IEF—formerly known as the “Producer-Consumer Dialogue”— is a unique forum established to facilitate dialogue on energy security issues between producing and consuming countries. IEF provides the largest recurring global gathering of Energy Ministers, with over 60 countries participating. The IEF Ministerial is held every 2 years, rotating in location, and is a venue for Energy Ministers to discuss energy security issues.