Reimagining European energy security: Towards a whole-of-system approach
fanny.pollet@i…
Mon, 02/17/2025 – 16:07
10 minutes
The EU needs to look at energy security in terms of the whole system rather than focusing solely on security of energy supply. The old understandings around a fossil fuel-based system do not work for Europe’s security. They make the region reliant on expensive imports and highly vulnerable to external actors who exert a stranglehold over its energy system. A shift towards a renewables-based energy system would not only restore energy supply security within the EU but offer the added advantage of a cheaper and a more resilient energy system. Building this system however requires a more holistic approach, one that incorporates interconnection and demand-side management into the broader conceptualisation of energy security. There are many definitions of energy security but most boil down to a formula of availability, affordability and accessibility. In the EU, however, the focus remains fixed on the problem of security of supply and threats to energy infrastructure. Europe first conceptualised energy security during the …read more
