BUILDING EUROPE’S ENERGY SECURITY
The U.S. – Europe Energy Bridge improves European energy security by connecting partners in the region to American investors, technology, and expertise. Theselinkages create a path to more reliable, affordable energy for businesses and consumers and promote integration with regional and global energy markets— empowering partners to break free from the energy and financial traps that produce insecurity and instability. This foundational work will lead to a more secure Europe and accelerate a just and secure clean energy transition for the region.
ENERGY BRIDGE PILLARS
INTEGRATING COMPETITIVE ENERGY MARKETS WITH EUROPE
- Building the capacity of partner countries to transform domestic energy markets into exchanges where energy is traded competitively and transparently with Central European markets.
- Forming competitive power exchanges and merging energy markets throughout the region.
- Developing regional and national energy policies and regulations to promote transparency and open competition.
- Building platforms to enable consumer choice of natural gas and electricity suppliers.
PROMOTING ENERGY INVESTMENT
- Enabling investment to diversify regional energy supplies, replace aging power generation assets, and upgrade critical infrastructure to improve reliability and security.
- Prioritizing natural gas and electricity system investment through collaborative, multi-country network development and planning.
- Providing pre-feasibility studies, financial and technical analyses, and transaction advisory support for energy and infrastructure investment.
- Linking U.S. manufacturers, products, and service providers with counterparts seeking technology and expertise to improve energy security and promote clean energy integration.
BOLSTERING THE RESILIENCE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
- Empowering utilities, governments, regulators, telecommunications providers, and other critical infrastructure operators to prepare for and respond to risk including natural disasters and cyberattacks.
- Building the awareness and capacity of the critical infrastructure workforce to prevent and respond to cyberattacks.
- Establishing laws, policies, and regulatory frameworks to improve critical infrastructure resilience and supply chain management.
- Creating institutions and information sharing networks to coordinate threat identification, response, and recovery.
CURRENT ENERGY BRIDGE INITIATIVES
JUST AND SECURE ENERGY TRANSITION (JSET) | September 2022 – September 2027; $20,000,000
JSET supports energy utilities and suppliers, market operators, and regulatory agencies in transitioning the region to fully functional, liquid, and transparent energy markets linked to Central Europe, incentivizing private investment and building the basis for the clean energy transition.
CONNECT FOR GROWTH (C4G) | September 2021 – September 2026; $15,000,000
C4G partners with Ministries and energy sector stakeholders to diversify energy supplies and improve energy sector resilience (e.g., improved planning for and response to supply disruptions, joining energy markets for increased efficiency, etc.) in the face of growing threats to regional energy security.
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DIGITALIZATION AND RESILIENCE (CIDR) | September 2021 - September 2026; $30,000,000
CIDR supports host governments and operators of critical infrastructure (e.g., energy, finance, health, telecommunications, water, and others) to develop the policies, skilled workforce, and organizational/operator-level capabilities to address rising cybersecurity threats.
INVESTMENTS IN DEVELOPING ENERGY ASSETS (IDEA) | September 2022 – September 2027; $20,000,000
IDEA provides feasibility studies and transaction support for investments in all segments of the energy sector, including heat and power generation facilities, transmission and distribution networks, renewable sources, demand-side improvements, and water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
ENHANCING STABILITY AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN ENERGY MARKETS (ESTEEM) | March 2020 - September 2024; $4,500,000
ESTEEM builds the capacity of national regulatory authorities to oversee entities that provide critical public services (e.g., electricity, natural gas, water, telecommunications), incentivizing investment while minimizing corruption.
ILLUSTRATIVE RESULTS TO DATE
Speeding integration of Ukraine and Moldova into Europe and improving energy security USAID supported Ukraine and Moldova in disconnecting from the Russian electric power system and synchronously interconnecting with the European continental grid in 2022. This achievement was major step forward in promoting their energy security, while also supporting them on their path to EU membership.
Furthering electricity market integration to promote efficiency in the power sector, clean energy development, and decarbonization
USAID supported Albania and Kosovo to establish the first multi-national power exchange (ALPEX) in Southeast Europe. This exchange is a critical step in bringing the region into the pan-European electricity market, laying the groundwork for increased investment in clean energy technologies and improving energy security.
Improving resilience of critical infrastructure
USAID partnered with the Government of North Macedonia to establish the region’s first interministerial cybersecurity working group. The working group, which is now being replicated in other countries, prioritizes government cybersecurity actions and focuses on identifying the country’s most important critical infrastructure sectors; developing a comprehensive legal framework that specifies cybersecurity roles and responsibilities; and establishing networks for national and regional threat information sharing and cybersecurity responses.
