Texas-Ukraine Energy Symposium highlights convergence of interests

Published 5:35 am Sunday, November 3, 2024

Ukrainian delegates representing the country’s parliament and fossil fuel industry joined American counterparts recently to share expertise, build relationships and find common ground during a series of public talks at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center in Longview.

While knowledge sharing took center stage at the symposium, which was organized by the U.S.- Ukraine Foundation and the congressional Open World Program, it also served as a venue for hashing out mutual interests between Ukraine and the U.S. energy industry.

During a Wednesday talk, Christopher Guith, the senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, launched a broadside against a “regulatory onslaught” brought on by “environmental activism,” linking the fate of Ukrainian energy independence to the Biden administration’s pause on new liquid natural gas exports.

The pause was premised on reducing global emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas capable of trapping 28 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, according to the EPA. Methane is the primary component of natural gas.

But disruption to fundamental services like heating and electricity caused by Russia’s 2022 invasion has turned energy access into one of Ukraine’s most pressing issues. The continued bombardment has decimated the country’s fossil fuel and electricity production. Russia timed past attacks on infrastructure to coincide with Ukraine’s frigid winter, leaving many residents in the cold.

Meanwhile, Guith said, Europe is scrambling to find alternatives to Russian fuel, too, which provided 40% of the continent’s natural gas supply before the war.

Guith made an offer. Ukrainian delegates listened closely as a translator raced to keep up.

“When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the gas exporters come to the administration and explain, ‘Hey, look, we have the gas… [Ukraine] needs gas and they’re trying to replace Russian imports and we can help them do that!’ the [Biden administration] doesn’t care what we have to say,” Guith said.

He implored Ukrainian delegates to lobby the Biden administration for a lift on the natural gas export pause: “Use the mechanisms that you have — privately, publicly, whatever — to tell the administration, ‘We need more U.S. gas; this pause is a bad idea.’”

“We are happy to offer you assistance in pushing these efforts,” said Andrii Zakrevskyi, director general for the Association of Energy and Natural Resources of Ukraine. Guith and Zakrevskyi exchanged business cards.

After the talk, Ukrainian politician Andriy Gerus, who heads the legislature’s Committee on Energy, recounted the manifold crises his country’s power and energy sectors have navigated since Russia’s invasion.

“In the summer of 2022, the Russians destroyed oil storage facilities that accounted for 60% of Ukraine’s storage capacity,” Gerus said. Then, in fall 2022, “Russia started shelling the power generating and transformer facilities. None of the seven hydro-electric stations on the Dnipro River are working at capacity. Some have completely stopped producing power.”

As temperatures plummeted that November, the situation grew dire.

“Everything was destroyed, and the entire country had a blackout for several hours… The entire country,” Gerus repeated.

Neither Gerus nor Zakrevskyi expressed a strong preference for either U.S. presidential candidate, though Donald Trump has threatened a different pause — not on natural gas, but on military aid to their country.

“Our approach as Ukrainian politicians is to build good relations, productive relations, with the representatives of the entire American political spectrum,” Gerus said.

Nevertheless, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler, felt it necessary to clear the air with the Ukrainian guests during a lunchtime presentation.

“I want you to know that there is a voice in East Texas who will support Ukraine and help push Putin back where he belongs,” Moran said, after acknowledging the schism within the Republican Party over Ukrainian aid.