I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1453 

To prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordination among United States 

agencies to encourage European countries to diversify their energy 

sources and supply routes, increase European countries’ energy security, 

and help the United States reach its global energy security goals, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2019 

Mr. KINZINGER (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordination among 

United States agencies to encourage European countries 

to diversify their energy sources and supply routes, increase European countries’ energy security, and help the 

United States reach its global energy security goals, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘European Energy Se5 curity and Diversification Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

2 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con3 gress that the United States has economic and national 

4 security interests in assisting European countries achieve 

5 energy security through diversification of their energy 

6 sources and supply routes. 

7 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

8 United States— 

9 (1) to advance United States foreign policy and 

10 development goals by assisting European countries 

11 to reduce their dependence on energy resources from 

12 countries that use energy dependence for undue po13 litical influence, such as the Russian Federation, 

14 which has used natural gas to coerce, intimidate, 

15 and influence other countries; 

16 (2) to promote the energy security of European 

17 countries by encouraging the development of acces18 sible, transparent, and competitive energy markets 

19 that provide diversified sources, types, and routes of 

20 energy; 

21 (3) to encourage United States public and pri22 vate sector investment in energy infrastructure 

23 projects in European countries to bridge the gap be24 tween energy security requirements and commercial 

25 demand in a way that is consistent with the region’s 

26 absorptive capacity; and 


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1 (4) to help facilitate the export of United States 

2 energy resources, technology, and expertise to global 

3 markets in a way that benefits the energy security 

4 of European countries. 

5 SEC. 3. PRIORITIZATION OF EFFORTS AND ASSISTANCE 

6 FOR ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS 

7 IN EUROPE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—In pursuing the policy described 

9 in section 2(b), the Secretary of State, in coordination 

10 with the heads of United States agencies that operate 

11 under the foreign policy guidance of the Secretary, shall, 

12 as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the efforts of the 

13 Department of State or of such agencies to support the 

14 efforts of European countries to increase their energy se15 curity, including through— 

16 (1) providing diplomatic, political, and technical 

17 support to European countries— 

18 (A) to facilitate international negotiations 

19 with respect to cross-border infrastructure; 

20 (B) to enhance European countries’ regu21 latory environment with respect to energy; or 

22 (C) to develop accessible, transparent, and 

23 competitive energy markets supplied by diverse 

24 sources, types, and routes of energy; and 


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1 (2) providing support to improve European en2 ergy markets, including early-stage project support 

3 and late-stage project support, for the construction 

4 or improvement of energy infrastructure— 

5 (A) to diversify the energy sources and 

6 supply routes of European countries; 

7 (B) to enhance energy market integration 

8 across the region; or 

9 (C) to increase competition within energy 

10 markets. 

11 (b) PROJECT SELECTION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta13 tion with the agencies described in subsection (a), 

14 shall identify energy infrastructure projects that 

15 would be appropriate for United States assistance 

16 under this section. 

17 (2) PROJECT ELIGIBILITY.—A project is eligible 

18 for United States assistance under this section if the 

19 project is— 

20 (A) related to— 

21 (i) natural gas infrastructure, such as 

22 interconnectors, storage facilities, liquefied 

23 natural gas import facilities, or reverse 

24 flow capacity; 


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1 (ii) electricity transmission infrastruc2 ture, electricity storage projects, or smart 

3 grid projects; 

4 (iii) renewable energy projects in 

5 wind, solar, tidal, or other forms; or 

6 (iv) the improvement, rehabilitation, 

7 or construction of natural gas, coal, nu8 clear, or other electricity generation facili9 ties to increase the efficiency and reliability 

10 of electricity production; and 

11 (B) located in a European country. 

12 (3) PREFERENCE.—In selecting among projects 

13 that are eligible under paragraph (2), the agencies 

14 described in subsection (a) shall give preference to 

15 projects that— 

16 (A) improve the capacity of energy systems 

17 to efficiently transfer gas and electricity within 

18 and between European countries; 

19 (B) have already been identified by the 

20 European Commission as being integral for the 

21 energy security of European countries; 

22 (C) are expected to enhance energy market 

23 integration and transparency; 

24 (D) can attract funding from the private 

25 sector, an international financial institution, the 


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1 government of the country in which the project 

2 will be carried out, or the European Commis3 sion; or 

4 (E) have the potential to use United States 

5 goods and services. 

6 (c) COUNTERING RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FUND.—Sec7 tion 254 of the Countering Russian Influence in Europe 

8 and Eurasia Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 9543) is amended— 

9 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘fiscal years 

10 2018 and 2019’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2018 

11 through 2021’’; and 

12 (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(7) To assist United States agencies in pro15 viding assistance under section 3 of the European 

16 Energy Security and Diversification Act of 2019.’’. 

17 SEC. 4. PROGRESS REPORTS. 

18 Not later than one year after the date of the enact19 ment of this Act, and annually thereafter for seven years, 

20 the President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 

21 Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 

22 Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on 

23 progress made in providing assistance for projects under 

24 section 3 that includes— 


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1 (1) a description of the energy infrastructure 

2 projects for which the United States has provided 

3 assistance; and 

4 (2) for each such project— 

5 (A) a description of the role of the United 

6 States in the project, including the amount and 

7 form of any early-stage project support or late8 stage project support; and 

9 (B) an update on the progress made on the 

10 project as of the date of the report. 

11 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act: 

13 (1) EUROPEAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Euro14 pean country’’ means the following: 

15 (A) Albania. 

16 (B) Andorra. 

17 (C) Austria. 

18 (D) Belgium. 

19 (E) Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

20 (F) Bulgaria. 

21 (G) Croatia. 

22 (H) Cyprus. 

23 (I) The Czech Republic. 

24 (J) Denmark. 

25 (K) Estonia. 


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1 (L) Finland. 

2 (M) France. 

3 (N) Germany. 

4 (O) Greece. 

5 (P) Hungary. 

6 (Q) Ireland. 

7 (R) Italy. 

8 (S) Kosovo. 

9 (T) Latvia. 

10 (U) Liechtenstein. 

11 (V) Lithuania. 

12 (W) Luxembourg. 

13 (X) Moldova. 

14 (Y) Monaco. 

15 (Z) Montenegro. 

16 (AA) The Netherlands. 

17 (BB) North Macedonia. 

18 (CC) Norway. 

19 (DD) Poland. 

20 (EE) Portugal. 

21 (FF) Romania. 

22 (GG) San Marino. 

23 (HH) Serbia. 

24 (II) Slovakia. 

25 (JJ) Slovenia. 


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1 (KK) Spain. 

2 (LL) Sweden. 

3 (MM) Switzerland. 

4 (NN) Ukraine. 

5 (OO) United Kingdom. 

6 (PP) Vatican City. 

7 (2) EARLY-STAGE PROJECT SUPPORT.—The 

8 term ‘‘early-stage project support’’ includes— 

9 (A) feasibility studies; 

10 (B) resource evaluations; 

11 (C) project appraisal and costing; 

12 (D) pilot projects; 

13 (E) commercial support, such as trade 

14 missions, reverse trade missions, technical 

15 workshops, international buyer programs, and 

16 international partner searchers to link suppliers 

17 to projects; 

18 (F) technical assistance and other guid19 ance to improve the local regulatory environ20 ment and market frameworks to encourage 

21 transparent competition and enhance energy se22 curity; and 

23 (G) long-term energy sector planning. 

24 (3) LATE-STAGE PROJECT SUPPORT.—The term 

25 ‘‘late-stage project support’’ includes loans, guaranVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1453.IH H1453

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1 tees, insurance, reinsurance, equity investments, and 

2 transaction advisory services. 

3 (4) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITU4 TION.—The term ‘‘international financial institu5 tion’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

6 1701(c) of the International Financial Institutions 

7 Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)). 

Æ 


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