US, EU and Ukraine discuss draft energy security assistance – Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan

At COP29, representatives from the US, UK, and Ukraine gathered in the Ukraine Pavilion to discuss the Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan. The discussion centered on policy, subnational cooperation, and direct aid—key components for supporting Ukraine’s energy resilience amid global instability.

Dr. Ievgeniia Kopytsia, a professor at the University of Oxford and Associate Professor at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University:

— The Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan not only makes Ukraine more secure and prosperous, it provides a blueprint for other nations facing conflicts and natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. It is a crucial opportunity to empower Ukraine and Europe with accessible and affordable clean energy, with a just transition that undermines Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine.

Alex Cornell du Houx, Former State Representative, EOPA President, and Marine veteran:

— What is the best way to keep our energy secure? It’s not fossil fuels because they’re just sitting targets—we know exactly where they are. They’re explosive and it’s an infrastructure that is easy to target.
Renewables like clean energy, are the opposite they are distributed. Wind turbines are amazing in that you can spread them across the fields. Two-thirds of Iowa’s energy comes from wind because of the partnership between the farmers and the wind turbines. And the missile that can take out a wind turbine costs more than the wind turbine itself. All 19 turbines 100 kilometers from the front lines are still standing.
Solar is just unbelievably resilient. The panel over here was destroyed but replaced in a day. It’s distributed, it’s clean, it’s cheaper to make.
From a military perspective being energy secure is a war-fighting advantage and you need consistent deliberate and long-term support that does not waver.

Imogen Payter, UK Friends for Ukraine:
— Our biggest solar delivery was in Chernihiv. But this help is not enough. We went to Sumy, Kherson, and Kharkiv, and sometimes it could be days before people were able to charge phones there in community charging hubs. That’s not a way of life for anyone. And we’re letting this happen to civilians at war.
I think one of the big collaborations that is needed can be generated through the twinning of communities, “sister cities”—regional partnerships established across many different countries.

Heather Buchanan, CEO of Bankers for Net Zero

— To estimate the impact of the Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan, we must redefine both risks and value. The global financial system is in a period of transition, and we need to look beyond individual project risk and understand the geopolitical risk in the absence of energy security. The Ukraine Energy Security Marshall Plan addresses this core question. How do we rebuild a decentralized, secure infrastructure in the face of ongoing conflict? The Marshall plan has the opportunity to see the value and potential of a secure Ukraine.