159
2016 on the Dentons 2016 Energy Outlook Event, mentioned US aims of becoming
an energy superpower. He added:
In just the past few years the United States emerged as the leader, as we just heard, in oil
and gas, but also in solar, geothermal, and wind. We are setting groundbreaking energy
efficiency standards for the transport, buildings, and industrial sectors. We are also a leader
in research and development of innovative energy technologies, and we are pioneering the
business models and financial tools that enable technology deployment, not just the innovation itself. The investment in renewables in 2015 alone in the United States was $56 billion—the highest it’s ever been. The United States now produces more petroleum than
Saudi Arabia and more gas than Russia. That would have been unfathomable just a couple
of years ago. (www.state.gov 2019a, b)
American opposition to the implementation of the Rolling Stream 2 project
stems from the concern of some of the region’s countries over Russia’s increased
influence. On EU energy security and US dependency on Russian gas Hochstein
stated that:
In Europe, Russia uses energy as its #1 political leverage. As a result of the infrastructure
legacy of the Cold War, you have two Europe’s when it comes to energy—it’s not one continent. And the EU is far from being united when it comes to energy. A portion of Europe is
100% reliant on Russia for natural gas today and will be into the future unless we make a
change. That is why Russia is willing to invest tens of billions of dollars to build new pipelines to connect that same region, to take the same gas to the same consumers, through new
pipelines, even when some already exist, in order to continue that linkage and dependency.
(www.state.gov 2019a, b)
Obama, Central Asia, and Caspian Sea Region
The potential political rewards Central Asia could offer the US diminished quite
clearly in the eyes of policymakers during the Obama years. The drop in the price
of oil, the threat of terrorism, and the perception of the region as a battleground of
ideological rivalries made the private sector unwilling to follow the charge of
Western diplomats on a great scale (Rafi et al. 2008:61). Considering Central Asia
is still a relatively minor player in the global oil and gas market much in need of
investment, and the down-scaling of the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan;
the US slowly reconsidered the reasons why bolstering its presence in the region
might be necessary (Rafi et al. 2008:61).
The Obama Administration’s aim of enhancing US engagement in Central Asia
and the Caspian Sea revolved around six objectives:
• Maximizing cooperation with states to aid US-led operations in Afghanistan,
particularly on hosting US and NATO airbases for the transit of troops and supplies to and from Afghanistan along the Northern Distribution Network (NDN;
see below, “The Northern Distribution Network to and from Afghanistan”).
Obama, Central Asia, and Caspian Sea Region
2016 on the Dentons 2016 Energy Outlook Event, mentioned US aims of becoming
an energy superpower. He added:
In just the past few years the United States emerged as the leader, as we just heard, in oil
and gas, but also in solar, geothermal, and wind. We are setting groundbreaking energy
efficiency standards for the transport, buildings, and industrial sectors. We are also a leader
in research and development of innovative energy technologies, and we are pioneering the
business models and financial tools that enable technology deployment, not just the innovation itself. The investment in renewables in 2015 alone in the United States was $56 billion—the highest it’s ever been. The United States now produces more petroleum than
Saudi Arabia and more gas than Russia. That would have been unfathomable just a couple
of years ago. (www.state.gov 2019a, b)
American opposition to the implementation of the Rolling Stream 2 project
stems from the concern of some of the region’s countries over Russia’s increased
influence. On EU energy security and US dependency on Russian gas Hochstein
stated that:
In Europe, Russia uses energy as its #1 political leverage. As a result of the infrastructure
legacy of the Cold War, you have two Europe’s when it comes to energy—it’s not one continent. And the EU is far from being united when it comes to energy. A portion of Europe is
100% reliant on Russia for natural gas today and will be into the future unless we make a
change. That is why Russia is willing to invest tens of billions of dollars to build new pipelines to connect that same region, to take the same gas to the same consumers, through new
pipelines, even when some already exist, in order to continue that linkage and dependency.
(www.state.gov 2019a, b)
Obama, Central Asia, and Caspian Sea Region
The potential political rewards Central Asia could offer the US diminished quite
clearly in the eyes of policymakers during the Obama years. The drop in the price
of oil, the threat of terrorism, and the perception of the region as a battleground of
ideological rivalries made the private sector unwilling to follow the charge of
Western diplomats on a great scale (Rafi et al. 2008:61). Considering Central Asia
is still a relatively minor player in the global oil and gas market much in need of
investment, and the down-scaling of the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan;
the US slowly reconsidered the reasons why bolstering its presence in the region
might be necessary (Rafi et al. 2008:61).
The Obama Administration’s aim of enhancing US engagement in Central Asia
and the Caspian Sea revolved around six objectives:
• Maximizing cooperation with states to aid US-led operations in Afghanistan,
particularly on hosting US and NATO airbases for the transit of troops and supplies to and from Afghanistan along the Northern Distribution Network (NDN;
see below, “The Northern Distribution Network to and from Afghanistan”).
Obama, Central Asia, and Caspian Sea Region