International support for Ukraine’s energy sector is crucial to its recovery and reform. This was underlined by Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko during a meeting in Washington with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt.

“We discussed in detail assistance to the Ukrainian energy sector. But not just how to get through this winter. We talked about assistance in a more global context, how Ukraine should become part of the European energy system, how we can strengthen the energy security of the region,” German Galushchenko said after the talks.

The Energy Minister stressed that the enemy continued to attack Ukraine’s energy sector. In recent weeks, energy infrastructure facilities have been attacked 60 times with various types of weapons. After each new attack, the need for energy equipment increases, so the assistance of partners to the Ukrainian energy sector is crucial.

The parties also discussed preparations for the 2024/2025 heating season. The head of the Ministry of Energy stressed that this should include large-scale decentralisation of power generation and maximum support for the transition of existing generation technologies to more efficient and flexible ones focused on base load and peak consumption.

“We need U.S. assistance in preparing a comprehensive plan for creating a distributed energy system, better grid management and support in its implementation. We are planning to enter the next heating season of 2024/2025 with gas turbines/generators with a total capacity of over 300 MW of combined heat and power generation,” the Minister said.

The meeting also focused on the integration of the Ukrainian and European energy markets and the prospects for Ukraine’s post-war transformation into Europe’s largest electricity exporter. The United States is interested in accelerating the green transition and stands ready to assist its partners. The parties also discussed the involvement of American traders in the use of Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, cooperation in the development of interconnectors, and deepening cooperation in the nuclear industry.

According to Geoffrey Pyatt, the United States will continue to support Ukraine’s energy sector and is interested in developing the most effective mechanisms to ensure this support. One such mechanism is the U.S. Agency for International Development’s current Energy Security Project, whose main beneficiary in Ukraine is the Ministry of Energy.