Prishtina, June 27, 2026 – The American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo has closely followed the recent public statements made by members of the caretaker Government Cabinet regarding the country’s energy policy orientation.
AmCham believes that the priorities presented do not adequately address Kosovo’s need to increase domestic electricity generation capacity, reduce dependence on electricity imports, and consequently strengthen the country’s security of supply.
The fundamental issue is not whether Kosovo can import electricity generated in neighboring countries. The strategic question is whether Kosovo should continue relying on imported electricity as a finished product, or invest in developing new domestic generation capacities that strengthen the country’s energy security, economic competitiveness, and strategic resilience. AmCham believes that the development of new domestic generation capacity should be a national priority.
It has been argued that importing electricity through the existing transmission infrastructure is a more practical and less costly solution than building natural gas infrastructure in Kosovo. However, evaluating this issue solely on the basis of the initial infrastructure cost overlooks the long-term economic and strategic benefits of developing new domestic electricity generation capacity.
Every new megawatt generated in Kosovo strengthens security of supply, reduces dependence on regional electricity markets, and provides greater stability for businesses and citizens alike. Continued reliance on electricity imports exposes Kosovo to price volatility and supply disruptions that remain beyond the country’s control. The European energy crisis following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine clearly demonstrated that countries with sufficient domestic generation capacity were significantly better positioned to protect their economies from market shocks.
This is also one of the main reasons why many European countries have invested, and continue to invest, in LNG infrastructure, including American LNG. Beyond the economic rationale, these decisions have been driven by strategic objectives to diversify sources of supply, reduce dependence on a limited number of suppliers, and strengthen national security. In today’s geopolitical environment, energy is no longer viewed merely as a commodity, but as a critical component of security policy and strategic partnerships. Kosovo should not remain outside this transformation.
For precisely these reasons, AmCham firmly believes that expanding domestic electricity generation capacity must remain one of Kosovo’s principal strategic objectives.
In this context, Kosovo’s participation in the regional American LNG infrastructure represents the fastest and most economically advantageous pathway toward developing new generation capacity. The construction of the natural gas interconnection through North Macedonia has been identified, through studies supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) program, as the most economically favorable option for supplying Kosovo with natural gas.
LNG-based generation facilities are among the commercially available technologies capable of becoming operational within only two to three years. Furthermore, such projects have significantly greater prospects of securing financing from international financial institutions than new coal-based generation projects. Equally important, LNG should not be viewed as an alternative to renewable energy. On the contrary, it is the technology that enables substantially greater integration of wind and solar power by providing the flexibility required for the operation of a modern electricity system.
By comparison, coal gasification may be considered as part of discussions on Kosovo’s long-term energy security, but it cannot address the country’s immediate need to increase electricity generation capacity. Such a project would require a considerably longer implementation period, while the prospects for financing remain uncertain given current international decarbonization policies.
For this reason, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo believes that Kosovo should pursue a dual-track approach: rapidly developing LNG-based generation capacity to address short- and medium-term energy security needs, while simultaneously continuing to assess long-term options for utilizing its domestic energy resources.
Energy policies should not be measured solely by the initial cost of infrastructure, but by their ability to deliver secure supply, predictable electricity prices, and increased domestic generation. Kosovo’s participation in the regional American LNG infrastructure would enable the country to develop new generation capacity in the shortest possible timeframe, significantly strengthen its energy security, enhance the competitiveness of its economy, and further deepen its strategic partnership with the United States.
Based on the above, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo reiterates its position that, at a time when an increasing number of European countries view American LNG as a strategic investment in their energy and national security, Kosovo should not miss this opportunity.