U.S. Department of Energy official Daniel Poneman visits Mozambique and South Africa to highlight the importance of building strong energy partnerships.

On his trip to Africa in summer 2013, President Obama announced the Power Africa initiative, which aims to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. In March, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman traveled to South Africa and Mozambique to highlight the importance of building strong partnerships to work toward a more sustainable and prosperous energy future for both the United States and Africa.

Poneman met with energy sector leaders and discussed ways to unlock the potential of energy resources and move toward a low-carbon and more resilient energy economy, according to a March 31 blog post on the Energy Department website by Special Advisor Desiree Pipkins.

Shown above, Poneman joined South African energy sector officials to cut the ribbon at the POWER-GEN Africa 2014 exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa.

Strong energy partnerships underscore President Obama's Climate Action Plan, which calls for international cooperation to address the impacts of a changing climate and reduce emissions worldwide, Pipkins wrote.

The upcoming U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, scheduled for June 3-4, will be co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu. It will bring together senior government officials, private sector leaders and civil society representatives to work toward sustainable energy growth in Africa.