PRIME Minister Andrew Holness is in Washington, DC, for the two-day United States-Caribbean-Central American Energy Summit.

It is his first official overseas assignment since winning the February 25 general election and being sworn in as prime minister on March 3.

The energy summit will be hosted by vice-president Joe Biden and is a follow-up to the Caribbean Energy Security Summit he hosted in January last year.

According to the US State Department, “the summit will launch the results of the energy task force for the Caribbean and Central America announced by President Obama last spring, and identify steps that the United States and regional leaders can take to ensure that citizens of these regions achieve a more secure, affordable, and clean energy future.”

For its part, Jamaica House says it expects that “tangible outcomes will emanate from this meeting as it relates to improved energy governance and energy diversification for the Caribbean, as this will improve our competitiveness at the regional and international levels”.

Holness returns to the island tomorrow. Minister without portfolio with responsibility for Water, Works and Housing in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang will hold the reins until then.