Abstract

This chapter examines the role of renewable energy in shaping energy security against the backdrop of global geopolitical, socioeconomic, and technological uncertainties. The evolving definition of energy security during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries is discussed initially. The dimensions, components, and metrics of energy security are reviewed, including the 4A definition of energy security that comprises physical availability; economic affordability; accessibility from a sociopolitical standpoint; and environmental acceptability. A novel energy security index is proposed, with the following components: physical availability; technology development; economic affordability; social accessibility; governance; unconventional threats; and natural environment. Of these, physical availability followed by technology development, economic affordability, and governance was rated as the most important, and the environment was rated as the least important by a small panel of experts. The roles of wind and solar energy are highlighted, with an emphasis on the social acceptance of renewable energy in an energy security context. Other energy security indexes are discussed, focusing on sustainability and renewable energy. Denmark, Germany, China, Russia, and the United States are examined as case studies that help understand the transition to renewable energy in the context of coopetition among states. As these countries face different political concerns, geopolitical realities, and energy security issues, they consider different policy approaches to address them.

Highlights

  • The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) [1] underlines that fossil fuels have been the foundation of the global energy system, and their role is deeply embedded in the relations among countries and regions

  • Renewables and energy efficiency offer a safe, reliable, and affordable way to achieve massive decarbonization, in line with keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2°C [15]. This is a exciting time to study the renewable energy dimension of energy security: the global energy landscape is in the middle of a game-changing revolution in source rock resources; consumer countries have turned into producers; producer countries have turned into consumers; and transit countries have turned into new players

  • Turning to Sovacool and Mukherjee’s work [2], the following components of security of supply and production should be favorably affected by renewable energy: dependency and diversification; price stability; decentralization and affordability; innovation and research; investment and employment; environmental quality, especially climate change; and trade and regional interconnectivity

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Summary

Introduction

Energy has been crucial for economic growth throughout human history, the “precondition of all commodities, a basic factor equal with air, water, and earth” There is no universal definition of energy security [3, 4], which [5] has been aptly described as “slippery” and “polysemic.” energy security has Renewable Energy - Resources, Challenges and Applications become an umbrella term for different policy goals [6]. Renewables and energy efficiency offer a safe, reliable, and affordable way to achieve massive decarbonization, in line with keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2°C [15] This is a exciting time to study the renewable energy dimension of energy security: the global energy landscape is in the middle of a game-changing revolution in source rock resources; consumer countries have turned into producers; producer countries have turned into consumers; and transit countries have turned into new players. Numerical computations were done with Microsoft Excel, and statistical analysis and graphing were done with Minitab Version 18

Energy security and renewable energy
Defining energy security
Dimensions and components of energy security
Metrics of energy security
Synthesizing an energy security index
The role of renewable energy in the dimensions of energy security
Other energy security indexes
Perspectives on renewable energy and energy security
Findings
Conclusions
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