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The most secure energy situation for a country would be to rely only on domestic sources to cover the national demand, as the more a country relies on importing energy, the more it's at risk of facing economic and geopolitical problems. The concept of energy security goes hand-in-hand with energy dependency. This is the measure to calculate the proportion of energy consumption that is dependent on imported energy.
Strategies for energy security
The four aspects that are important to energy security are availability, accessibility, affordability, and reliability. These feed into the strategies to try to achieve energy security. Here are examples of those strategies:
Using the country's own resources to try to secure self-sufficiency
Norway is 96% self-reliant when it comes to energy. This means that it can meet most of the energy demands of its population by exploiting its offshore oil and gas fields and using hydroelectric power. It even has surplus energy, which it exports to other countries such as the UK through an undersea gas pipeline.
Fig. 1 - The share of electricity production from renewables shows that Norway has used renewables heavily since 1985
Having reliable and consistent energy supplier nations to supplement the country's own energy sources
USA and Canada have the largest integrated energy network in the world. Both co-supply each other with electricity in different regions. Canada is the net exporter of oil and gas to the USA whilst being the net importer of coal from the USA.
Importing energy from a wide range of suppliers
This is to stop being too dependent on one resource and to be able to switch to an alternative resource if there are any political, pricing, or supply factors. Japan has more than five countries that supply it with liquid natural gas, for example.
Switching supplies to be less dependent on imports
The USA has drastically reduced oil and gas imports from the Middle East and South America by exploiting its own deep onshore shale gas through a process of hydraulic fracturing.
Reducing the domestic demand for energy
Some ways to reduce the need to rely on other countries for energy are granting subsidies for solar panels in houses and businesses, encouraging cycling instead of driving, or insulating houses in a more efficient manner.
Fig. 2 - Having energy security is essential if a country is to be self-sufficient
Energy security and the carbon cycle
With the reliance on fossil fuels to create energy, energy security is heavily intertwined with the carbon cycle, which we will discuss in the article about the carbon cycle. The reality is that the carbon cycle balance supports planetary health, which has been affected by the demand for resources, that grows with economic development and the rising population numbers. The demand for more resources conducts to the release of more carbon, which leads to greenhouse gases, and creates a climate crisis. Some countries are developing ways to access alternative fuels and radical technologies that can help us find alternative energies to stop the reliance on fossil fuels.Energy Security in Geography - Key takeaways
- Energy security is achieved when uninterrupted and affordable energy is available on a national level.
- Energy dependency is the measure to calculate the proportion of energy consumption that is dependent on imported energy.
- There are four aspects that are important to energy security: availability, accessibility, affordability, and reliability.
- There are many strategies to help with energy security, such as switching supplies to have less dependence on imports, reducing the domestic demand for energy, importing energy from a wide range of suppliers, having reliable and consistent energy supplier nations to supplement the country's energy sources, and using the country's own resources to try to secure self-sufficiency.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Energy Security
What is energy security in geography?
Energy security in geography is when uninterrupted and affordable energy is available on a national level.
How can energy security be improved?
Some of the methods to improve energy security are using one's own resources to try to secure self-sufficiency, having reliable and consistent energy suppliers, and importing energy from a wide range of suppliers.
Why is energy security important?
It is important to a nation as it is needed to power transport, domestic appliances, warm and cool homes, many forms of manufacturing, light settlements, communication means, and commercial agriculture.
What is an energy security example?
Norway is 96% self-reliant on energy by exploiting its offshore oil and gas fields and using hydroelectric power. It even has surplus energy, which it exports to other countries, such as the UK through an undersea gas pipeline. They have reached energy security.
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