The Energy Industry Partnership Program for Eurasia (EIPP) was a Cooperative Agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Energy Association (USEA).  Through this program energy companies, regulatory agencies and non-governmental organizations in the United States and the NIS were matched in management exchange programs that enabled the NIS energy sector to transition to a market economy in an environmentally responsible manner.

The objective of the EIPP was to establish long-term cooperative relationships between U.S. and NIS energy enterprises, regulators and non- governmental organizations that provided a mechanism for the U.S. energy industry to transfer its experience in market-based energy production, transmission and distribution to its counterparts in the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union.

 

EIPP: 2001 Year In Review:
In 2001, the USEA/USAID sponsored Energy Industry Partnership Program (EIPP) completed the ninth year of its extended ten-year project life. The program provides a vehicle for U.S. utilities, regulatory agencies, and energy associations to transfer their experience in market based energy systems to their counterparts in the nations of the former Soviet Union and Southeast Europe. 

This year, the EIPP strengthened its utility, regulatory and non-governmental partnership programs, continuing an emphasis on programming dedicated to the development and operation of competitive wholesale power markets, independent power projects and privatization.  Recognizing the need to develop a broad constituency for market reform in its client nations, the EIPP continued to reach out to new and nontraditional energy stakeholders by conducting programs for the energy committees of state and national legislatures, consumer groups and the energy media.  Called the "Energy Based Civil Society," this program element seeks to educate energy stake holders of both their rights and obligations within competitive energy markets anchored by commercially sustainable utilities, independent regulatory agencies, and greater public participation in the energy policy decision making process.

A total of 50 activities in the form of workshops, seminars, internships, study tours and training courses were provided on a pro-bono basis by the U.S. partners on behalf of their counterparts. The program continued to cover a wide breadth of subjects ranging from utility forecasting and financial planning to managing an issue advocacy campaign within an emerging civil society.

In 2001, over 225 U.S. executives from utilities, regulatory commissions, independent system operators, equipment manufacturers, investment banks, law firms, associations, and consumer groups volunteered their time to participate in the program by traveling to the region or by hosting an ex-change visit in the United States. There were 628 participants from the region.  Since its inception in 1992, the EIPP has facilitated over 10,000 training experiences for participants from this region.