President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced yesterday that Ukraine has begun exporting electricity to the European Union using an interconnection with Romania, starting with 100 megawatts. As they increase in volume, power exports from Ukraine will diversify Europe’s energy supply in the midst of Russia’s aggression, support energy security throughout the region, strengthen their trade relations with Western allies, and provide a much-needed source of revenue to Ukraine’s embattled energy sector.   

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm commented on this incredible accomplishment, achieved while the Ukrainian people are still in an active war with Russia: 

“I am so thrilled with Ukraine’s accomplishment, achieved while protecting their homeland, which will pave the way to what I know they can become:  a clean energy powerhouse and energy exporter to the European Union.  In my first trip abroad as Secretary of Energy last August, I visited Kyiv to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day and promised our support of their ambition to disconnect from Russia’s power grid.  The U.S. Department of Energy has been working on this goal non-stop since my trip and we proudly send a huge congratulations to Energy Minister Galushchenko and his team.” 

Full integration with the European Union — through the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) — will be a key step for Ukraine, facilitating its emergence as a major producer and exporter of clean energy.  This is a major step toward reducing Ukraine and Europe’s reliance on Russian energy imports while also advancing critical climate objectives.  DOE’s Office of International Affairs received $30 million in emergency funds from Congress to advance Ukraine’s full integration with ENTSO-E. DOE is focusing on enhancing the cyber and physical security of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and addressing critical vulnerabilities at the intersection of its electricity and natural gas systems.