Elected Officials to Protect America estimates that it will cost 200 billion dollars over the next ten years to rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure once the war ends. (Misu/Adobestock)

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By Suzanne Potter

February 22, 2023   

As the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine war approaches, climate activists are making plans to rebuild Ukraine with clean energy once the war is over.

Groups of elected officials in both countries are holding informal talks about what they describe as a “Clean Energy Marshall Plan” for Ukraine.

Igor Tregub, a Ukrainian-American and Leadership Council member of the nonprofit Elected Officials to Protect America and former Berkeley Land Board Commissioner, said Russia makes $258 million a day in oil-and-gas profits to fuel its war machine.

“There is a clear nexus between divesting from fossil fuels and instead, investing in a democratized renewable-energy supply, such as distributed solar, and wind power,” Tregub pointed out.

The group is working with members of Congress on a bill which would help fund Ukraine’s reconstruction in a greener, more sustainable way, including doing away with Ukraine’s centralized power grid, which has proven to be an easy target for the Russian army. Opponents cited cost concerns.

Alex Cornell du Houx, president of Elected Officials to Protect America, said renewable energy independence can contribute to global stability going forward.

“Right now, we’ve created a system where there are a number of choke pointed around the world that are controlled by autocratic nations,” du Houx explained. “Other countries have no choice but to participate in this form of extortion.”

He noted oil and gas companies have used the war in Ukraine as part of their justification for raising prices, which, in turn, has caused pain at the pump and led to higher natural gas bills in California.

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Elected Officials to Protect America 2023