ANKARA
Turkey has demonstrated, with its policies, a wonderful example of being very strong and energy independent, said Colette Honorable, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
"The development of Turkey's energy policy with its own energy resources is very important." Honorable told Anadolu Agency on Friday.
She added that Turkey relies on its neighbors, which is a good example for what should be done across the globe, to ensure reliable and affordable energy.
Honorable, whom U.S. President Barack Obama nominated to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in August 2014, said she supports the diversification of energy resources so as not to rely on just one source.
"In the U.S., we have seen that supply diversity is really important, not only to ensure the reliable delivery of energy resources but to obtain affordable energy resources. It's an opportunity to have a reasonable price when you have many consistent supply areas," she said.
She also cited infrastructure development as a fundamental part of Turkey's becoming an energy hub.
She explained that in the U.S., in order to move to a cleaner and more efficient energy economy, a solid infrastructure is needed. This includes constructing additional transmission lines, pipelines, and maintaining construction and deployment.
"You have a number of individuals in Turkey that are leaders, not only in your country but also in the Eurasian region and across the world. Mustafa Yilmaz and Alparslan Bayraktar are two of them. I think that Turkey is well-positioned to be an energy hub," she noted.
Mustafa Yilmaz is the head of Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority and Alparslan Bayraktar is the new chairman of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators, who was appointed on May 28, 2015.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is an independent federal agency charged by the U.S. Congress with oversight of the interstate electricity and gas market.
"We at FERC oversee the reliability of the bulk power system which includes regional transmission organizations and independent system operators," she said.
Honorable's nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in Dec. 2014 and her term expires in June 2017.
