Conclusions about U.S. energy security
- With the resource boom of natural gas, the U.S. seems to be more energy secure than it has been in a long time. However, this can be deceptive because U.S. energy security is intertwined with that of other nations. With the U.S. less reliant on foreign oil and nations in the East growing in their appetite for oil, the balance of energy, and power, relations is shifting across the globe.
- There is no such thing as absolute energy security, due to the globalized nature of the energy market and the complexity of energy geopolitics. With oil a globally traded commodity, unrest and disruption anywhere in the world has the potential to impact oil prices and supply everywhere.
- Nor is complete energy independence particularly desirable. Though presidents and politicians have long touted energy independence as a holy grail of sorts, in reality energy independence would make the United States an island and vulnerable to the threats that such isolation brings. It would also make the U.S. less of a leader around the world, affecting trade relationships with other countries and lessening U.S. influence and sway in those regions.
- The U.S. military has used force or the threat of force to protect its energy interests around the world, primarily in the Middle East, for more than five decades, safeguarding foreign oil sources and the sea lanes through which they pass. Oil has remained a vital U.S. national security interest, shaping America’s foreign policy toward many countries and regions.
- More than half of the world’s oil is transported by sea, making maritime security one the most crucial factors of energy security. Before getting to U.S. consumers and industry, oil leaves ports and harbors around the world and passes through global choke points – narrow sea lanes that are often highly vulnerable to disruption. Throughout history, the world’s largest choke points have been the target of attacks, including piracy, robbery, and mining by hostile nations. These vulnerabilities continue today, and in some cases are on the increase.
- Protecting oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key choke point, is extremely expensive. By some estimates, the United States has spent as much as $8 trillion on maintaining its military presence in the Persian Gulf in recent decades. But with greater domestic energy supply and Obama’s ‘pivot to Asia’ policy, America is reassessing its role in the region.
- The balance of power is shifting to the East. With burgeoning economies driving Asia to lead the world in net oil imports, emerging countries such as India and China are changing the global political landscape in the postmillennial era.
- The U.S. builds close relationships with oil-rich countries to help secure our energy supply, but it can also turn a blind eye to corruption, human rights abuses and other problems in those countries that can also undermine global security. Many argue that only if the U.S. becomes less dependent on foreign sources of oil can it firmly and effectively promote reforms in many of these oil-rich countries.
- The U.S. may be overlooking what people call its natural partner in energy security — Latin America. The region, home to many of the world’s biggest oil suppliers such as Venezuela, is close and much more stable than the Middle East. Several other nations there, such as Brazil, are on the cusp of becoming major producers. But because of the so-called U.S. disengagement in the region, Americans are losing opportunities in terms of energy security cooperation with Latin American countries, especially South American countries. This has potential negative long-term implications for U.S. energy security.
- In terms of technology, the U.S. has benefited greatly from the development of economical hydraulic fracturing and technologies to recover previously inaccessible heavy oil. Ongoing research and development of new technologies, such as the use of microbes to enhance oil recovery, is certain to greatly affect our future energy supply and help increase energy security.