Do renewable energies improve energy security in the long run?

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the geopolitical consequences of the spread of renewable energies worldwide. From a macroeconomic point of view, it would be tempting to conclude that the transition to renewables (solar, wind …) will gradually end today's geopolitics of fossil fuels based on historical relationships between energy producers and consumers. The new challenges induced by energy transition policies could paradoxically turn out being as complex as today's geopolitics of energy. Local and decentralized relations could add a new geopolitical layer to current traditional actors. Technical, economic, sociological, behavioural, spatial and legal dimensions could also complicate the emerging puzzle.A massive diffusion of renewables into the world's energy mix could also lead to new, unexpected interdependencies such as dependencies to critical materials, a new geopolitics of patents and the implementation of a renewable diplomacy. Critical materials and patents on energy transition technologies could then become the new specific assets of the upcoming international climate negotiations for numerous countries.