S.Amdt. 6492

This amendment, submitted by Mrs. Shaheen and Mr. Cruz, adds a section to bill S. 4784 regarding Vertical Gas Corridor Energy Infrastructure Cooperation. Its purpose is to authorize the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Energy to work together on the following:

• International Partnerships: Enter into cooperative agreements with countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Serbia, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Poland, and other relevant nations. This aims to develop the Vertical Gas Corridor, help United States energy exports, and support moving away from Russian energy sources.

• Ukraine Cooperation: Use the Vertical Gas Corridor project to integrate Ukraine's natural gas storage and transmission infrastructure into regional markets and help with post-conflict reconstruction. This includes finding ways to reduce reliance on Russian natural gas and coal to provide affordable energy in Central and Eastern Europe.

• Energy Diversification Center: Possibly create a joint United States-European Energy Diversification Center within one year of the Act. This center would use expertise from private sector entities, higher education institutions, and foreign governments to collaborate on energy resilience in Europe. The goal is to expand the Vertical Gas Corridor to include data connectivity, telecommunication, electricity, and clean energy projects, while coordinating with European Union and regional officials on permitting and regulatory actions.

• Accountability: If agreements are made, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Energy must provide annual reports to specific congressional committees. These reports must detail actions taken, projects started, the use of fair and transparent procurement practices, efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy, any United States funds or technical assistance provided, and coordination with agencies like the Export-Import Bank and the United States Trade and Development Agency.