As a follow-up to the series of Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) consultations conducted in the United States and East and West Africa this summer, the Commerce Department hosted Driving Investment in Power Africa program on the sidelines of the U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit. The Commerce Department event was coordinated by the Office of General Counsel Front Office, Commercial Law Development Program of the Department’s General Counsel’s Office in partnership with the Initiative for Global Development (IGD) and the US Agency for International Development. The program brought together investors in the African power market and U.S. and African government officials to discuss the role of U.S. government agencies in facilitating investment in power in Africa. The first draft of CLDP’s Guide to Understanding Power Purchase Agreements was also presented at the workshop.  The dynamic mix of participants in the Driving Investment program engaged in a productive dialogue before a standing-room only crowd. Julie Wenah of the Office of the General Counsel welcomed the participants and General Counsel Kelly Welsh provided opening remarks. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Ichord gave an overview of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative and USAID Power Africa Policy Coordinator Roseann Casey highlighted the broad array of US government support within Power Africa. International Trade Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Murray stressed the role of power in driving increased investment in Africa, as well as the Department of Commerce’s commitment to facilitating trade and investment by U.S. companies in Africa. Honored guests included Niger Minister of Commerce for Promotion of the Private Sector, Alma Oumarou and Rwanda Former Minister of Infrastructure, Professor Silas Lwakabamba. Also, three business delegation leaders from Secretary Pritzker’s May 2014 West Africa Trade Mission attended: Yolanda Parker of The Parker Group LLC, Kevon Makell and David Ellis of SEWW Energy.The highlight of the program was a roundtable discussion featuring a panel of CEOs of private-sector developers and lenders with additional contribution from the African government delegates in attendance.