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The Partnership

Historical Timeline

  1. 1993 The First Initiative

    The first meeting took place at the Houston International Airport in June 1993. Mayor Leif Maasvaer, Torbjorg Undheim and Trygve Brekke of Stavanger, and Knut Bulow of Houston discussed the possibilities to form a network organization between energy capitals.

    The City of Stavanger took the lead to create a proposal for the organization and draft the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

  2. 1994 Preliminary meetings in Houston and Stavanger

    Stavanger contacted potential member cities. Several of these cities already had individual contacts and agreements based on common interests in the energy sector.

    Representatives from Aberdeen, Perth, Houston and Stavanger met in Houston to prepare for the preliminary WECP meeting in Stavanger.

    At the preliminary meeting in Stavanger, Aberdeen, Calgary, Houston, Perth, Stavanger and Vung Tau agreed to form the WECP and the official signing ceremony was scheduled in May 1995.

  3. 1995 Signing Ceremony in Houston

    The signing ceremony took place in Houston on May 3, 1995, between the following cities: Aberdeen, Houston, Perth, Stavanger and Vung Tau. The City of Calgary attended the ceremony as an observer.

    Mayor Leif Maasvaer of Stavanger was elected President and Trygve Brekke (Stavanger) Secretary General. Knut Bulow (Houston) joined the secretariat as a consultant. The membership fee was set to  $10,000 USD per year.

    In September 1995, Leif Johan Sevland was elected as mayor in Stavanger and therefore assumed the role of President of the WECP.

  4. 1996 Annual meeting in Stavanger

    The City of Baku (Azerbaijan) joined as a new member in June 1996.

    The Annual Meeting took place in Stavanger during the ONS Conference and Exhibition. The following cities participated: Aberdeen, Baku, Houston, Perth and Stavanger. While Calgary was not able to be present, they officially confirmed their membership and maintained observer status.

  5. 1997 Annual meeting in Baku

    The City of Villahermosa (Mexico) joined as a new member on May 5, 1997.

    The Annual Meeting took place in Baku. Participating cities included Vung Tau, Aberdeen, Houston, Villahermosa, Baku and Stavanger.

    A Working Meeting was held in Aberdeen on September 9, during the SPE Offshore Europe Conference & Exhibition.

  6. 1998 Annual Meeting in Villahermosa

    Houston held a conference on “Emergency Preparedness” on February 22-23.

    The Annual General Meeting took place in Villahermosa on May 7-9. Participating cities were Aberdeen, Houston, Villahermosa and Stavanger.

    Maracaibo (Venezuela) and Daqing (China) joined as new members.

  7. 1999 Annual meeting in Aberdeen

    The Annual General Meeting took place in Aberdeen on October 24-26. Participating cities were Aberdeen, Baku, Daqing, Houston, Perth and Stavanger.

    Lord Provost Margaret Smith of Aberdeen was elected as new President and took over the WECP secretariat from January 2000; Stavanger was to serve as Vice President.

    Stavanger held a conference entitled “International Education in Focus” on October 27-28, at the International School of Stavanger.

  8. 2000 Annual meeting in Perth

    The Annual General Meeting took place in Perth on September 7-8. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Daqing, Houston, Perth and Stavanger.

  9. 2001 Annual meeting in Daqing

    Aberdeen held a conference on “Diversification” on February 26 with keynote speaker Annise Parker, Houston Council Member and Mayor’s designee to WECP.

    A Working Meeting was held in Houston on April 30. Vung Tau officially resigned from its member status in the partnership but remained as an observer city.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Daqing on September 18-19. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Daqing, Houston, Perth and Stavanger. Vung Tau, Panjim (India) and Dongying (China) attended as observers. The City of Dongying (China) was accepted as a new member.

    Mayor Leif Johan Sevland of Stavanger was elected as new President.

    The University of Houston Institute for Energy, Law and Enterprise signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Houston for the administrative responsibility of the WECP Secretariat.

  10. 2002 Annual meeting in Stavanger

    St. John’s and Halifax (Canada) joined as new members in February.

    The City of Houston became the Permanent Secretariat of the WECP. A formal MOU was signed during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, in May.

    Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) joined as an observer city in September.

    The AGM took place in Stavanger on September 26-27. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Halifax, Houston, Perth, St. John’s and Stavanger. Vung Tau attended as an observer.

  11. 2003 Annual meeting in Halifax

    The Working Meeting was held in Houston in conjunction with the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

    The AGM was held in Halifax on October 7-10. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Daqing, Dongying, Halifax, Houston, Perth, Stavanger and St. John’s. San Fernando (Trinidad and Tobago) attended as an observer.

    Mayor Peter Kelly of Halifax was elected as President for the period 2004-2005.

    Maracaibo and Baku officially withdrew their membership in the organization.

  12. 2004 Annual meeting in San Fernando

    The WECP was officially incorporated as a Texas Non-Profit Corporation.

    The Mayor of Houston was voted to be the Permanent Secretary General.

    The Houston Technology Center (HTC) replaced the University of Houston Institute for Energy in assuming the responsibility of administering the WECP Secretariat.

    The cities of Dammam (Saudi Arabia) and San Fernando (Trinidad and Tobago) joined as new members at the Working Meeting in Houston, in May.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in San Fernando on November 15-19. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Daqing, Halifax, Houston, Perth, San Fernando, Stavanger, and St. John’s.

    The city of Luanda (Angola) joined as a new member.

  13. 2005 Annual meeting in Villahermosa

    The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) replaced the Houston Technology Center (HTC) in assuming the responsibility of administering the WECP Secretariat.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Villahermosa. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Dammam, Daqing, Dongying, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, San Fernando, St. John’s, Stavanger and Villahermosa.

    Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass of Perth was elected President for the period 2006-2007.

  14. 2006 Annual meeting in Dammam

    Chief Administrative Officer Anthony Hall became Mayor William H. White’s designee and Secretary General of WECP.

    The bylaws were amended and restated to establish an Economic Development Committee, create three classes of members and institute clearer guidelines on responsibilities and participation.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Dammam. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Dammam, Daqing, Dongying, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, San Fernando and Stavanger.

    Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) attended as an observer.

    The WECP Training Exchange Program was established to allow municipal officers to be sent to another member city to study a particular area of expertise.

  15. 2007 Annual meeting in Luanda

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Luanda. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Dammam, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, San Fernando and Stavanger.

    Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) joined as a new member.

    Mayor Dhaifallah Al-Utaibi of Dammam was elected as new President and Governor Job Castelo Capapinha of Luanda as the Vice President.

  16. 2008 Annual meeting in Aberdeen

    The WECP Academic Exchange program was introduced to foster joint research projects among the universities and research centers of the partnership’s member cities.

    The City of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) joined as a new member at the Working Meeting in Houston, in May.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Aberdeen. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Dammam, Daqing, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, Port Harcourt, San Fernando, St. John’s and Stavanger.

  17. 2009 Annual meeting in Calgary

    The Calgary Climate Accord was signed. Nine cities participated in the accord: Aberdeen, Calgary, Halifax, Houston, Perth, Port Harcourt, San Fernando, St. John’s and Stavanger.

    The City of Doha (Qatar) joined as a new member at the AGM.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Calgary. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Dammam, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, Port Harcourt, San Fernando, St. John’s and Stavanger. Atyrau (Kazakhstan) attended as observer.

    Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi of Perth was elected as new President and Mayor Kenneth Ferguson of San Fernando as Vice President.

  18. 2010 Annual meeting in Perth

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Perth. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Dammam, Daqing, Doha, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, St. John’s and Stavanger.

    The cities of Atyrau (Kazakhstan) and Tomsk (Russia) joined as new members at the AGM.

    Chief Development Officer Andrew Icken replaced Anthony Hall as Mayor Parker’s designee and Secretary General of WECP.

  19. 2011 Annual meeting in Doha

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Doha in conjunction with the World Petroleum Congress. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Atyrau, Calgary, Dammam, Doha, Houston, Luanda, Malabo, Perth, Port Harcourt, St. John’s, Stavanger and Tomsk.

    The City of Rio de Janeiro joined as new member at the AGM.

    Mayor Dennis O’Keefe of St. John’s was elected as new President and Mayor Mohammed Al Sayed of Doha as Vice President.

  20. 2012 Annual Meeting in St. John’s

    The cooperative agreement was amended and restated to add sharing best practices in the areas of education and research, health care, transportation, technology, and environment, to the purpose of the organization.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in St. John’s, directly following the Ocean Innovation Conference. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Dammam, Doha, Dongying, Halifax, Houston, Luanda, Perth, Port Harcourt, San Fernando, St. John’s, and Stavanger.

  21. 2013 Annual Meeting in Dongying

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Dongying. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Dammam, Daqing, Doha, Dongying, Houston, Luanda, Perth, San Fernando and Stavanger.

  22. 2014 Annual Meeting in Stavanger

    The City of Kuala Lumpur attended the Working Meeting in Houston as an observer and officially joined as a new member at the AGM.

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Stavanger. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Dammam, Daqing, Doha, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Karamay, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Rio de Janeiro, St. John’s and Stavanger.

    The City of Cape Town attended the AGM as an observer.

  23. 2015 Annual Meeting in Rio de Janeiro

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Calgary, Cape Town, Dammam, Daqing, Doha, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Karamay, Kuala Lumpur, Rio de Janeiro and Stavanger.

    Mayor Michael Savage of Halifax was voted in as President of the WECP and Alderman Patricia de Lille of Cape Town as Vice President.

  24. 2016 Annual Meeting in Cape Town

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Cape Town. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Atyrau, Calgary, Cape Town, Daqing, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Luanda, Perth and Stavanger.

  25. 2017 Annual Meeting in Halifax

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Halifax. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Cape Town, Dammam, Daqing, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, St. John’s, Stavanger and Villahermosa.

    Mayor Michael Savage of Halifax was re-elected President of the WECP for second consecutive 2-year term and Lord Provost Barney Crockett of Aberdeen was elected Vice President.

  26. 2018 Annual Meeting in Kuala Lumpur

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Atyrau, Cape Town, Dammam, Daqing, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Stavanger and Villahermosa.

    The City of Kobe attended both the Working Meeting in Houston and the AGM as an observer.

  27. 2019 Annual Meeting in Aberdeen

    The Annual General Meeting was held in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Barranquilla, Cape Town, Dammam, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kobe, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, St. John’s, Stavanger and Villahermosa.

    The city of Kobe, Japan joined as a new member of WECP.

    Lord Provost Barney Crockett of Aberdeen was elected President of the WECP and Mayor Jesper Frost Rasmussen of Esbjerg was elected Vice President.

    Dammam, Saudi Arabia, were elected to host the 2020 AGM.

  28. 2020 Annual Meeting – Virtual

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual General Meeting was held virtually on Microsoft Teams. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Barranquilla, Cape Town, Dammam, Daqing, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kobe, Perth, St. John’s and Stavanger, with Ulsan attending at Observers.

    The city of Ulsan, Korea joined as a new member of WECP.

    It was agreed that Dammam, Saudi Arabia would host the 2021 AGM due to the cancellation of the 2020 in-person AGM.

  29. 2021 Annual Meeting – Virtual

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dammam’s in-person 2021 Annual General Meeting event was unable to take place.

    As a result, the 2021 Annual General Meeting was held virtually on Microsoft Teams. Participating cities included Aberdeen, Barranquilla, Calgary, Cape Town, Dammam, Daqing, Dongying, Esbjerg, Halifax, Houston, Kobe, Perth, St. John’s and Stavanger, and Ulsan.

    During the AGM, our member cities selected Esbjerg, Denmark to host the 2022 World Energy Cities Partnership AGM.

  30. 2022 Annual Meeting in Esbjerg

    During the 2022 Working Group Meeting in Houston, the partnership elected Mayor Jesper Frost Rasmussen of Esbjerg as President of the World Energy Cities Partnership, and Mayor Fahad Al-Jubair of Dammam as Vice-President.

    The 2022 Annual General Meeting took place in Esbjerg, Denmark from October 5th – 8th.

    Participating cities included Aberdeen, Stavanger, Halifax, Cape Town, Dammam, Calgary, Houston, Perth, and Kobe. Present online were Karamay, Daqing, Dongying and Barranquilla.

    The Working Group Meeting in spring will from now on coincide with CERAWEEK.

  31. 2023 Annual meeting in Perth

    In 2023, the Annual General Meeting took place in Perth on November 1 – 3.
    Participating cities included Stavanger, Houston, Halifax, Kobe, Esbjerg, Dongying, Daqing and Dammam.

    The city of Groningen, The Netherlands joined as a new member of WECP.

    Read more about the AGM in Perth.

  32. 2024 Annual Meeting in Stavanger

    In 2024 the Annual General Meeting will be hosted by the city of Stavanger in Norway.