WSJ: The American Solution to Europe’s Energy Woes

The crisis in Ukraine has once again demonstrated the importance of diversified natural-gas supplies for Europe. Ukraine faces a severe shortage given its dependence on a hostile Russia for gas, and European Union leaders are likewise scrambling for alternatives in case Moscow decides to cut supplies.

If the problems that face Ukraine are particularly severe, they are by no means unique. Across Eastern Europe, countries depend overwhelmingly on Russia to meet their energy needs. Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia rely on Russian oil and natural gas for more than 90% of their total energy imports.

The challenge facing Europe’s leaders to redress this imbalance is substantial and dominated headlines throughout the summer. Extending the network of interconnectors within the EU and its neighbors, adopting energy-efficient technologies and exploiting renewable-energy resources may all eventually play a part in that process. But there is another, more immediate solution at hand: expediting the import of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the U.S.  MORE