WASHINGTON, D.C. – (August 8, 2005) Today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Thelma J. Askey announced the award of a $350,000 technical assistance grant to Electricité d’Haiti (EDH), Haiti’s national electric utility, to address the country’s urgent need for accessible and reliable electric power. In particular, the grant will support EDH’s planning process for the development of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution projects.

The grant represents USTDA’s largest investment in Haiti to date and reflects the agency’s commitment to support that country’s economic growth. To confer the grant, Director Askey and EDH Director General Jean Errol Morose signed an agreement on behalf of the U.S. government and EDH, respectively.

Currently, only 11 percent of Haiti’s population is connected to electric lines and less than one-third of Haiti’s installed generation capacity actually reaches end users. To address these issues, the USTDA-funded technical assistance will assess the current state of Haiti’s electricity sector; recommend priority electricity generation, transmission, and distribution projects for action; and assist EDH in developing a strategy for financing technically and economically viable projects.

The opportunity to provide the technical assistance will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities website (www.fedbizopps.gov). Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions contained in the Federal Business Opportunities announcement. EDH will select the U.S. contractor that will provide the technical assistance.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits, and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment, and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.