Energy Security

The vital flow of energy along the pathways are vulnerable to disruption by:

- political instability along the pathways

- disputes over the ownership of energy resources or the transmission of energy across national borders by pipeline (e.g. disputes in 2006 and 2009 over payment and prices led to Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine, thereby reducing supplies down-line to France and Germany)

- terrorism and possible attacks of energy infrastructure

- sudden price rises for imported energy

- natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes (Hurricane Katrina in 2005 did extensice damage to oil refineries)

The risks of disruption are greatest at narrow choke points, such as the Straits of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf and through which passes some 30% of the world's crude oil supply. The impacts of supply distribution include:

- rises in the cost of energy, as during the 1973 Oil Crisis

- the need to search for alternative energy sources with more secure pathways

- reduced economic output and employment during periods of disruption

- social unrest related to rising energy costs and unemployment

The search for new sources of energy is driven by two needs:

- to meet the ever-increasing global demand for energy

- to make countries more energy secure, i.e. less dependant on imported supplies and less at risk if these are disputed

The search is moving in two main directions:

- looking for new reserves of non-renewable energy, particularly oil and gas

- developing new sources of energy, particularly those that are renewable, such as wind, solar and nuclear power.

For non-renewable energy, the most accesible reserves have already been found and exploited. The search for new resources focuses on the discovery in more technically difficult areas such as within the Artic circle and deep sea. Oil is being extracted from relatively new sources such as oil shales and tar sands.

Fracking (rock cracking) is being used to extract natural gas, a method that has already become a major source of gas in the USA. These developments have all been made possible and viable by recent advances in technology.

There is great concern about the environmental impacts of this continuing search for new reserves, as well as the exploitation of these new sources of oil and gas. Oil spills can cause immense damage, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas.

Geopolitical tensions and possible conflicts occur over energy sources because of:

- the mis-match between the distributions of energy demand and energy supply. This means that energy-poor countries are forced to import energy from other countries and that energy-rich countries are in a position to hold thoses energy-poor countries to ransom.

- the degree to which large and powerful nations are gaining hold of the energy resources in less-developed parts of the world = China's move into africa is one such example.

- the promotion of biofuels is taking over large areas of land that once grew food. In turn, this is leading to higher food prices and, in some countries, to food shortages, malnutrition and food riots.

There are various responses to increasing demands for energy, including:

- continuing to use fossil fuels and exploring for new reserves, and sources of oil and gas

- switching to renewable sources of energy such as biofuels, wind, solar, HEP, tidal and geothermal power

- making greater use of nuclear power

- taking steps to increase the efficiency with which we use energy, therby reducing current energy demands, i.e. energy conservation