The global market for electric power systems by 2010 has been estimated at nearly $2.3 trillion, and more than half of this investment will be for coal-fired power generation.

At the same time, the energy sectors of many countries are undergoing major transformations. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations, growing international concerns over global climate change, and increased competition among fuels drive the need for advanced power technologies that deliver electricity efficiently, cleanly, and economically both in the United States and abroad.

Within the Energy Department's Fossil Energy Advanced Research Program, an international area focuses on three major strategies:

• Provide leadership in international organizations. The Office of Fossil Energy holds leadership roles in several international organizations: The International Energy Agency, Latin America Energy Organization, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Working Group, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Clean Coal Technology Initiative, and the World Energy Council.

• Maximize export opportunities. The United States is the world leader in the development of clean fossil fuel-powered technologies. The Fossil Energy international team works to ensure that U.S. companies are competitive in global market opportunities for clean power systems, thereby securing jobs, stimulating economic growth for the United States, and contributing to global environmental protection.

• Establish effective partnerships. Partnerships play an important role in overcoming barriers facing U.S. companies that pursue export opportunities. Such barriers include trade, finance, inadequate understanding of U.S. clean power systems, and unfair competitive trade practices. Through its partnerships, the Office of Fossil Energy's international program facilitates business solutions to remove these barriers.

To ensure that U.S. companies have an opportunity to acquire a share of the growing global market for clean fossil fuel power systems, bilateral efforts are ongoing in several regions: Africa, Eastern Europe, the Pacific Rim, Russia and the Newly Independent States, South Asia and the Near East, Western Europe, and the Western Hemisphere. In each region, the United States provides assistance to countries in adapting their power sectors to meet local demands and environmental pressures. This assistance facilitates dialogue between financial institutions and U.S. companies.