2 Context
Security versus independence
4. The terms "energy security" and "energy
independence" are often used interchangeably, but we have
sought to distinguish between these concepts and explore their
policy implications for the UK. It was suggested to us that while
energy security and energy independence "are not mutually
exclusive, only security is essential".[3]
Energy independence has been defined as a reduced reliance on
imports, but this was regarded as being of limited worth without
security. Energy independence as a goal could be considered as
"misleading and costly" as most countries do not have
the resources to be self-sufficient.[4][5]
5. The UK was a net importer of electricity, coal,
crude oil and gas in 2010.[6]
Our net energy import dependency has been increasing, and is currently
at almost 29%,[7] with
fossil fuels accounting for the majority.[8]
UK domestic production of oil peaked in 1999, and production of
gas in 2000. [9]
Imports of natural gas increased by almost a third between 2009
and 2010, and in September 2010 imports of liquefied natural gas
(LNG) surpassed gas imported through pipelines for the first time.[10]
Energy independence is not a feasible goal for the UK in
the foreseeable future.
6. A balance needs
to be struck between developing the security of domestic supplies
and maintaining a reliable supply of imports.[11]
In achieving this balance, it is important for the UK to not be
reliant on a single fuel source: domestic and imported fuel and
electricity generation should come from a variety of sources..[12]
We examine the resilience of energy sources currently available
to the UK in Part Four.
7. The challenge for the UK is how to attract the
investment needed in the energy sector to create a more diverse
domestic energy mix. If the UK fails to attract sufficient investment,
it will be difficult to achieve our targets for cutting emissions
and the country may even struggle to produce enough electricity
to meet demand. We look at this issue in depth in Part Five.
8. There are also tensions between energy security,
climate change policy and energy affordability. For example, the
Government's aim of decarbonising the energy system could result
in new energy security risks—such as the availability of
carbon capture technology, inadequate gas storage capacity and
greater intermittency of renewable electricity generation—and
ultimately lead to increased bills for consumers. Even so, there
are ways of reconciling these three aims, including energy efficiency,
that could address concerns about climate change, security and
affordability. We examine the threats to energy security in Part
Three and how energy efficiency could support energy security
in Part Six.
3 Ev w25 Back
4
Ev 148 Back
5
Ev w91 Back
6
DECC, Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2011, Chapter 1 p
12 Back
7
DECC, Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2011, Chapter 1 p
16 Back
8
DECC, Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2011, Chapter 1 p
1 Back
9
Ev 198 Back
10
DECC, Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2011, Chapter 4 p
95 Back
11
Ev w143 Back
12
Ev 112, Ev 121, Ev w21, Ev w25, Ev w32, Ev w36, Ev w52, Ev w55,
Ev 139, Ev 144, Ev 148, Ev w70, Ev w79, Ev w83, Ev 164, Ev w91,
Ev 170, Ev 180, Ev w105, Ev w143, Ev 211, Ev w148 Back
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