Energy and Geopolitics

Abstract

Most scholars in the energy field believe that cross-border energy activities are closely linked to a state’s foreign policies. Due to the fear of using up finite fossil fuels, major import-dependent states compete for global influence to secure energy supply. Nevertheless, the discussion of securitising energy supply narrowly focuses on oil and gas, and rarely analyses actions of less powerful actors (eg environmental organisations or even engineers). Energy and Geopolitics significantly contributes to discussions about energy geopolitics by providing a holistic perspective – ‘seeking to understand the totality of things and how everything is interconnected with everything else’ (p 14). This analytical perspective is justified by connections between energy systems, different kinds of energy resources and socio-economic/political contexts. Therefore, analysing the geopolitics of one energy resource cannot overshadow its supply activities in the system, its interaction with other energy resources and its impact on social, economic and political actors. Högselius further argues that ‘we cannot properly grasp energy and geopolitics without taking into account the totality of global energy, viewing different energy sources and energy forms as constituents of a single whole’ (p 7). Chapter 2 lays the theoretical foundation and provides more details on why a systemic perspective is useful in comprehending energy in the geopolitical context. The author introduces the concept of energy systems, which he defines as ‘a set of technical and non-technical components – plus the links between them – that jointly enable energy in one or the other form to be delivered to end users’ (p 15). The systems are categorised by Högselius based on disparate energy resources, geographical scope or other standards. These systems relate to each other in various forms. Therefore, understanding the interaction of these energy systems could provide a more comprehensive analysis of the geopolitics driving one energy supply system (eg the interactions between fossil fuels and renewable energy). Additionally, the energy systems are sociotechnical in nature. Actors’ interaction with technical entities in the energy systems helps in understanding the power structure of the energy supply systems. When discussing actors’