Hemispheric

New U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said two importantitems he will be pursuing in his current visits to Venezuela andMexico will be the hemispheric integration of energy policy and thepossibility of a common electric grid. He added it is highlysignificant and symbolic that this first official call on foreigngovernments as Energy Department head will be to the two LatinAmerican nations most important to U.S. energy interests.