Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill to prioritize and enhance coordination among US agencies to encourage European countries to diversify their energy resources and increase energy security in the region.

Highlights:

• Specifies that it is the policy of the United States to advance foreign policy and development goals by assisting European and Eurasian countries to reduce their dependence on energy resources from countries that use energy dependence for political influence, such as the Russian Federation, which has used natural gas to coerce, intimidate, and influence other countries (Sec. 2).  

• Authorizes the Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of US agencies that operate under foreign policy guidance of the Secretary, shall prioritize and expedite the efforts of the Department of State and such agencies in supporting the efforts of the European Commission and European and Eurasian countries to increase the energy security of such countries (Sec. 4):

• Authorizes the Secretary to provide diplomatic and political support to the European Commission and such countries as necessary to (Sec. 4):

• Facilitate international negotiations concerning cross-border infrastructure;

• Enhance Europe’s and Eurasia’s regulatory environment with respect to energy; and

• Develop accessible, transparent, and competitive energy markets supplied by diverse sources, types, and routes of energy.

• Authorizes the Secretary to provide support to improve European and Euroasian energy markets, including early-stage project support and late-stage project support for the construction or improvement of energy infrastructure to (Sec. 4):

• Diversify the energy sources and supply routes of such countries;

• Enhance energy market integration across the region; and

• Increase competition within energy markets.

• Authorizes the Secretary to identify and select energy infrastructure projects that would be appropriate for US assistance, and requires eligible projects be located in a European or Eurasian country and related to at least one of the following (Sec. 4):

• Natural gas infrastructure, such as interconnectors, storage facilities, liquefied natural gas import facilities, or reverse flow capacity;

• Electricity transmission infrastructure, electricity storage projects, or smart grid projects;

• Renewable energy projects in wind, solar, tidal, or other forms; or

• The improvement, rehabilitation, or construction of electricity production.

• Authorizes the Secretary to give preference to eligible energy projects that (Sec. 4):

• Improve the capacity of energy systems to efficiently transfer gas and electricity within and between European and Eurasisn countries;

• Have already been identified by the European Commission as being integral for the energy security of European and Eurasian countries;

• Are expected to enhance energy market integration and transparency;

• Can attract funding from the private sector, an international financial institution, the government of the country in which the project would be carried out, or the European Commission; or

• Have the potential to use United States goods and services.

• Amends subparagraph (A) of section 661(f)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 by striking “$48 million for fiscal year 2000” and inserting “79.5 million for fiscal year 2020” (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text