The strategic relationship between the United States and Georgia took a major step forward with the announcement of the USAID Securing Georgia’s Energy Future Program. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP, the five-year activity will support policy reforms and private sector investments to help Georgia upgrade its energy infrastructure and build new power generation capacity.
This advances USAID’s strategic objectives of helping Georgia ensure a stable supply of affordable energy for households and businesses and build resilience against malign influence, including overdependence on imported energy and vulnerability to cyberattacks.
The USAID Securing Georgia’s Energy Future Program exemplifies USAID’s approach to supporting Georgia’s development under its Country Development Cooperation Strategy for 2020-2025 launched in 2020. A main objective of the strategy is building Georgia’s “resilience” – strengthening the institutions, infrastructure, and practices necessary to protect its society from malign influence, including economic dependence on the Russian market, cyberattacks against key infrastructure, Russia’s continued occupation of Georgian territory, and disinformation.
“USAID’s new energy security program will help Georgia modernize its energy infrastructure and encourage investment in new, climate-friendly sources of energy production, including wind and solar,” said USAID/Georgia Mission Director Peter Wiebler. “Our initiative will help Georgia secure access to the stable and reliable supply of electricity it needs to develop economically. Increased investment in the sector should drive the creation of high-value jobs in many fields. Importantly, our program will help Georgia move closer to Europe by meeting its regulatory commitments under the Association Agreement with the European Union, and decrease energy dependence on unreliable partnerr", reads the statement.
Over the next five years, USAID will deepen its partnership with the Government of Georgia and build new partnerships with private sector stakeholders in Georgia’s energy sector. By promoting greater transparency, competition, and integration with the European Energy Community, the program will make Georgia’s energy sector more attractive to private sector investors, ultimately making it more sustainable and independent.
