The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted a meeting in Washington, D.C., bringing together officials from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and the European Commission to discuss the Vertical Gas Corridor project. This gathering followed previous talks at the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation Summit held in Athens in November 2025 and the Transatlantic Gas Security Summit in Washington earlier this month.
The focus of the meeting was to address technical and regulatory challenges related to increasing northbound flows of regasified U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece into Central and Eastern Europe. Participants included representatives from national energy ministries, regulators, and Transmission System Operators (TSOs).
Key topics discussed were resolving regulatory issues that affect long-term planning for the corridor, harmonizing tariffs to improve cost competitiveness across countries involved, and identifying strategic infrastructure investments needed to achieve full capacity along the corridor.
Joshua Volz commented on the initiative: “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.”
The DOE stated that these efforts reflect its ongoing commitment to supporting reliable alternatives for allies seeking energy security. The department emphasized its aim to reduce barriers for U.S. LNG exports as part of broader goals positioning America as a leading global energy supplier.
In recent years, DOE has announced several initiatives aimed at strengthening energy resilience both domestically and internationally. For example, on July 21, 2022, DOE unveiled a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designed to help implement modern building energy codes across states—an effort intended to lower utility bills through improved efficiency (source). Additionally, on July 25, 2022, DOE identified over 140 programs supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative; these include grants aimed at improving grid resilience and weatherization assistance for disadvantaged communities (source).
The collaboration around the Vertical Gas Corridor comes as part of ongoing efforts by DOE leadership—who have also encouraged international cooperation toward clean energy transitions—to enhance regional stability while advancing U.S.-European partnerships.
