Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) recently introduced a resolution to support a European energy project that would enhance the security of energy delivery to U.S. allies.
Turner chairs the U.S. Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly. His bipartisan resolution expresses the sense of the House that it is in the United States’ interest to support and enhance Europe’s energy security through the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor.
“The Southern Gas Corridor will contribute to regional energy security for our allies in Europe and Eurasia, and help to strengthen our strategic partnership,” Turner said. “Many of our allies are reliant upon natural gas supplies from a single nation or unstable regions. Ensuring our allies have access to an alternative and reliable source of energy will help improve geopolitical stability in the region.”
The Caspian Sea region holds significant energy resources and proven natural gas reserves. The Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan, in particular, is one of the world’s largest gas fields, with over 30 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas.
The Southern Gas Corridor would route natural gas from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Europe. The project, Tuner said, would provide U.S. European allies an alternative and reliable source of natural gas and would help improve geopolitical stability in the region.