The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) convened officials from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and the European Commission in Washington, D.C., to discuss further development of the Vertical Gas Corridor. This meeting followed previous gatherings at the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation Summit in Athens in November 2025 and the Transatlantic Gas Security Summit held earlier this month.
The focus of the technical discussion was on enabling northbound flows of regasified U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece to other parts of Europe. Participants included representatives from energy ministries, national regulators, and Transmission System Operators (TSOs). The agenda addressed regulatory challenges affecting long-term planning, tariff harmonization for cost competitiveness, and strategic infrastructure investments needed to realize the corridor’s full capacity.
“By partnering with the countries of the Vertical Corridor, we are opening major opportunities to expand U.S. LNG exports to Central and Eastern Europe,” said Joshua Volz. “This effort is so important to our President and Secretary because it aligns with our nation’s strengths and commitment to supporting friends and allies across Europe.”
DOE stated that today’s meeting demonstrates its ongoing commitment to strengthening U.S. energy leadership and supporting allies in securing reliable alternatives to adversarial energy suppliers. “By reducing barriers to U.S. LNG exports, DOE continues to support America’s role as a leading global energy provider.”
The DOE has recently launched several initiatives related to energy security and clean technology. In July 2022, it announced a Notice of Intent for a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at implementing updated building energy codes nationwide (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). On July 21, 2022, Secretary Jennifer Granholm released a video encouraging international cooperation on clean energy transitions ahead of the Global Clean Energy Action Forum in Pittsburgh (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebmi2QGbV4).
Additionally, DOE officials have highlighted the importance of technology development in environmental management missions before Congress (https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/technology-development-aiding-em-mission-senior-advisor-white-tells-congress), while innovative passive energy processes are being used at sites like Savannah River Site for groundwater remediation (https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/srs-tackles-groundwater-issue-using-innovative-passive-energy-process).
In transportation decarbonization efforts, DOE announced $96 million in funding opportunities focused on expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and cleaner non-road engines (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-96-million-advancing-clean-vehicle-technologies-reduce-carbon-emissions). The department also supports over 140 programs aligned with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative that aims for disadvantaged communities to receive at least 40% of federal clean energy investments (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
