- August 24, 2022
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- August 24, 2022
The presidencies of Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama have one thing in common: The three U.S. administrations have consistently warned Europe, and Germany in particular, that Russia is using energy policy as a weapon. After all, Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels from Russia, especially gas, is very much a reality. In the geopolitical context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the U.S. warning to the European Union has proven to be true. EU Commission President von der Leyen recently noted that Russia was blackmailing Europe’s industries and citizens in the wake of reduced gas volumes through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The U.S. perspective on Europe’s energy crisis could provide an opportunity for a common approach to an improved transatlantic energy policy. After all, U.S.-American society and businesses are also struggling with higher energy prices. But there is also the threat of a new rift between the partners. In any case, the transatlantic energy market is likely to undergo serious changes.
How is the energy policy crisis in Europe perceived in the United States? To what extent do the energy bottlenecks affect Germany and the United States in different ways? What are the risks in the U.S. energy market? What capacities does the United States currently have in its energy sector? Will the European Union succeed in breaking free of its energy dependence on Russia? What does the current situation mean for the shift to renewable energy in the United States and Europe? Podcast hosts Julia Friedlander, Atlantik-Brücke, and Stormy-Annika Mildner, Aspen Institute Germany, discuss these questions with Dr. Sonja Thielges, Research Group Leader at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, and Dr. Guntram Wolff, Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin.
