We all need energy in one form or another to live and our response to the use of our global Energy resources have very far reaching consequences to human life.
Politicians have great difficulties resolving this critical area.
Ownership of the worlds limited Oil, Coal and gas resources have even been at the root of economic and actual wars
Even with the future advent of fusion power stations there may well be exploitation of helium 3 resources on our moon
many nations know this and the race has already begun.
Control of energy is power
Most Gas, Oil and all Coal supplies are all limited fossil fuels. man can grow plants that can be used as a source of oil but this is at the expense of much needed food production.
Renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and wave/tidal energy harvesting is now having growing impact with our understanding and technological ability of how to harness this energy improves, storage of power being the main challenge with any form of intermittent energy sources, large hydro dams systems help to resolve some of the peaks in demand, despite the growing international grid networks energy storage systems required to meet demand has yet to be found, this means that any nation needs to have a mixture of energy resources.
Geothermal energy has potential as a non-intermittent source of supply.
Energy security
The area of Energy security covers a range of topics including maintaining supply (no power cuts), safety, political control from foreign powers (control of supply and cost) and terrorist threats. This is one of the governments primary roles, sortages of supply for what ever reason, cold spells, infrastructure problems, terrorism, war, international pricing etc will lead to emergency debate in parliament to resolve.
Maintaining supply is about covering both the short and long term needs. Short term is having the right energy production, storage and networking to meet the fluctuating daily, weekly and annual regional energy demands, this is achieved using the national grid. Long term planing strategy for energy security is political, requiring an understanding of projected future energy supply and demand, Availability and cost (no point in having unlimited energy if no one can afford it), environmental issues, procurement times for new projects are also essential areas but the major issue of fossil fuel dependent supply is that of global political stability, most country's have to keep very large reserves of gas coal and oil to hedge against unexpected changes in the world energy economy.
Energy environmental issues
All forms of energy supply have a range of environmental issues involved with them.
Solar power has an important future
Fission
External links (open in a new window)
Luna mining http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/05/content_3733767.htm