The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) convened officials from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and the European Commission in Washington, DC to continue work on the Vertical Gas Corridor. This meeting followed previous discussions at the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation Summit in Athens in November 2025 and the Transatlantic Gas Security Summit held in Washington earlier this month.
The technical session included representatives from energy ministries, national regulators, and Transmission System Operators (TSOs). Participants focused on resolving regulatory issues that affect long-term planning for the corridor, harmonizing tariffs to improve cost competitiveness, and reviewing infrastructure investments needed to achieve full capacity for northbound flows of regasified U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece into European markets.
“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 reinforce its commitment to energy leadership and support for allied nations seeking reliable alternatives to adversarial suppliers. The department continues working on initiatives such as reducing barriers for U.S. LNG exports while also leading other programs aimed at energy resilience.
For example, in July 2022, DOE announced a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at implementing updated building energy codes across the country in order to improve efficiency and resilience (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more).
In addition, DOE has launched numerous other initiatives including 146 programs supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative—these aim to ensure that 40% of federal clean energy investments benefit disadvantaged communities (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
DOE officials say that continued international coordination through projects like the Vertical Gas Corridor is an important part of America’s broader role as a global energy provider.
“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,” Volz added.
