US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was omnipresent this week in Brussels. He was in the Belgian capital to take part in the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, but also to take part in the EU-US Energy Council.
He renewed Washington’s commitment to work with its EU partners on energy security, to ensure that the 27 no longer depend on gas and oil from Russia. To discuss these issues Euronews interviewed Simone Tagliapietra, researcher at the Bruegel Institute.
Euronews:
What are the main achievements of this transatlantic energy cooperation?
Simone Tagliapietra:
I think the main achievement so far has been the great LNG (liquefied natural gas) cooperation that has been established between the European Union and the United States. The United States exported in 2021 regarding 20 billion cubic meters of LNG to Europe. Last year, in the midst of the energy crisis, LNG exports to Europe soared to more than 56 billion cubic meters, and US LNG now represents a key pillar of Europe’s energy security infrastructure.
Euronews:
Washington and the EU are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Does the war in Ukraine threaten this ambition?
Simone Tagliapietra:
As far as Europe is concerned, I think the war in Ukraine has been, and continues to be, a catalyst for the green transformation since the start of the war. We have seen a significant increase in the deployment of solar panels across Europe, for example. We have witnessed a strong acceleration in the deployment of heat pumps which allow families to get rid of their gas boiler at home. So we are seeing unprecedented steps to reduce Europe’s dependence on gas, and these steps are being taken by industries and by families themselves. So I think that following this war, Europe will be much greener than before. So I would say that what (Vladimir) Putin did in Ukraine certainly strengthened the energy partnership between the European Union and the United States.
Euronews:
Would this close cooperation be in danger if a Republican won the US presidential election next year?
Simone Tagliapietra:
When Donald Trump arrived at the White House he said look, renewable energy is fake news and we want coal back in the US energy mix. What we have seen during his presidency is that renewable energy has grown steadily in the United States and the use of coal has steadily declined. The same will be true in other energy sectors. This means market realities are far more important than a president may think. And I think that even if Donald Trump is back or if the Republicans are back, it will not affect the new relationship between the United States and the EU very much in the field of energy. Moreover, it is in the interests of industrial players in the United States to continue to export energy to Europe.