Optimum Fuel Choice to Ensure Power Supply

As we go throughout life, we use various kinds of energy sources for our needs. Whether it be from solar energy to wind energy, there is a multitude of sources that allow us to do the things we do each and every day. Throughout the world, however, coal and nuclear power have risen to the

Our society has faced two major energy related problems since the Industrial Revolution. The first is where our future energy resources are going to come from. The United States both consumes and produces an immense

Since 2004 the UK has been a net importer of natural gas, as the North Sea reserves have been exploited and nearly exhausted. Today, ten years later, the UK has become even more dependent on foreign gas with over 50% of demand for gas satisfied by foreign supply (Gloystein, 2013). This increasing dependence on foreign countries is a worrying trend, due to the adverse effects it can have, which include being subjected to price shocks, supply shortages and manipulation both economically and politically. Energy insecurity has arisen through a lack of investment in other

Recent doubt in country’s energy supply as a result of political concerns in the Middle East nations, and other foreign oil generating nations, also volatility in the prices of oil, and natural gas have contributed to increase country’s energy independence through a greater local energy supply and to minimize the greater effects of the economy from any prices fluctuation in the fossil fuel markets, including the natural gas price hike in 2004 and 2005 cyclone

is far from independent when it comes to energy, “about 40 percent of U.S. imported petroleum, a significant portion of all the petroleum that provides a third of national energy consumption flows from insecure, progressively more competitive foreign supplies, primarily in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa” (Rosenbaum, 2014 p. 279). This is inherently problematic as the nation relies on this imported oil to power everything from the electrical grid to the military. Sourcing this oil from unstable regions allows for these suppliers to have an unprecedented impact on the everyday operations of both the government and citizens. Furthermore the U.S. must keep good relations with the often-uncooperative nations that supply our foreign oil in order to maintain the supply flow, making this an issue of national security.

The United States must re-examine many policies previously accepted as reasonable, especially its own national energy policy. As the largest overall and per capita energy consumer in the world, the U.S. needs to decide upon a reasonable source of energy for the foreseeable future, especially since its energy needs will increase dramatically during that time. With political instability likely to remain the norm in the Middle East, oil continues to be an energy source of questionable reliability; in addition, current estimates of worldwide reserves suggest we may in fact run out of oil entirely in the next fifty years. Natural gas reserves are in fairly short supply too, and costs limit its

Energy security encompassing having affordable and reliable energy available while ensuing it is not detrimental to other natural resources. According to Mulligan (2010), “… the world’s most widely traded fuel, oil accounts for some 34 percent of primary energy consumption. Because resources are concentrated in a relatively small number of states, many other states depend upon a functioning global market and the continuing availability of imports” (p.79). The system the world obtains its fuel is one which is dependent of other countries, besides the United States. Relying on other countries can be detrimental to the United States and cause problems. Many would like to see alternatives to using natural resources. Alternatives are available to help with multiple energy

The United States currently has the realistic capability of meeting roughly 64 percent of its gas demand with alternative fuels. This plan of alternative fuels relies mostly on BioDiesel from algae, while also utilizing ethanol from corn. As for the other 36 percent of our demand, we can rely on our own crude oil production by utilizing natural gas (CNG). A great attribute of all of these fuel sources is that they can be distributed

Energy is more than a utility that keeps the lights on in our homes or the gas in our cars; it’s a foundational resource that plays a key role in a nation’s ability to provided economic opportunity and basic services and security to its people. As such, it is imperative to a nation’s overall security that it develops/acquires access to energy, ensures energy needs are properly met and supplies are readily available, and disruptions minimized. Policy directs that the U.S. has a role in developing energy security throughout the world. For the U.S., we’ve long recognized the importance of energy security and have gone to great lengths to ensure its protection by developing depth and breadth in energy capabilities,

Natural gas is playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, rising to the occasion as an alternative to other fossil fuels such as coal because it burns cleaner. As the oil reserves in many parts of the world are being depleted, the availability of a viable alternative such as natural gas is becoming increasingly important. So too is the lure of the future possibility of energy independence for countries both developed and developing.

Energy is an important necessity that most society cannot live without especially in the Western culture. With today’s technological advancement, the reliance of power is more than ever. Businesses, transportation systems, and all the way down to individual household relies on power. Without power, the US in particular, will not be able to function properly and this is why energy is one of the critical assets. The US needs the energy infrastructure to fuel its economy because without power, the US economy will not be able to function as well as health and welfare of its citizens will be threatened (DHS, 2016). The Energy Sector is divided into three subsectors; they are electricity, oil, and natural gas (Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p. 3). The private sector owns more than 80 percent of the US’s energy infrastructure responsible in supplying the fuel needs of the country most especially to businesses, transportation systems, and its citizens (DHS, 2016). Businesses, transportation industry, and citizens are vital for the US economy maintain its operational efficiency. The private sector’s role in securing the energy infrastructure is more than ever. This paper will discuss the prevalent risks and threats of each energy subsectors and the overall risks or threats that the Energy Sector currently faces. Also, this paper will also discuss the private sector’s roles and responsibilities in enhancing its

Russia’s energy security depends largely on the global demand and international energy market price. Thus, Russian energy security is vulnerable to market forces and benefits from economic stability, particularly that of the European countries, with whom Russia conducts the majority of its energy trade. Let us see the history trend of Russia’s energy trade during the financial crisis.

Iran has stated a goal to remain the third largest gas producer in the world with gas production of 360 billion cubic meters / year by 2025. The European Union will be able to assist Iran with this goal as the expansion of the upstream gas production will require investment and technology from European and international companies. Iran has also expressed interest in injecting gas into the oil fields in order to maintain and increase oil production. EU companies can offer efficient solutions to increase the recovery rates of Iranian oil fields and hence help Iran produce more efficiently.

In the recent years, the relations between Ukraine and Russia have been hostile. Russia is the largest producer of gas while Ukraine is the largest importer of the same commodity from Russia. Gas fro Russia to the EU countries, east and southern Europe passes through the Ukrainian territory and Russia has to pay transit fee. It is this issue of the supply and prices of gas that precipitated a very big conflict between the two countries and the impact was felt allover Europe. In this paper, the historical background of the issue, the current sate of the conflict, the solutions to the conflict; the future of gas supply and the effects of the 2009 conflict to Europe will be addressed.

Energy system analysis has a wide scope and is well-suited as a component of an integrated energy modelling approach. It is interdisciplinary, with its main contributions coming from economics and engineering. Insights from other social sciences (e.g. political science, sociology and policy analysis) and natural sciences (e.g. atmospheric chemistry and environmental studies) are incorporated when and where is needed. The model can be focused on energy system as a whole (economy-wide), on specific elements of the energy chain (e.g. upstream), or on key sectors like residential. (UKERC, 2011). We should note that energy modelling plays a central role in policy making, due to the fact of the gravity of energy projections in decision-making policy and the political importance of modelling results in debates about policy (UKERC, 2011).