Emerging symbiosis: Renewable energy and energy security

This article reviews the evolution of "energy security" as a concept guiding strategic energy planning and demonstrates how fossil fuel technologies which once enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with energy security no longer contribute to the goals of enhanced energy security. Conversely, renewable energy technologies now fulfill many of the objectives that modern energy security enhancement initiatives aim to achieve. The article concludes that the existing fragmented structure of the renewable energy technology sector places the sector at a financial disadvantage when trying to break the technological lock that fossil fuel technologies have on energy provision and argues for a unified effort aimed at fostering improved public understanding of alternative technology capabilities and mustering political support for a transition away from fossil fuel technologies. Failure to unify may lead to nuclear power or fossil fuel combustion and carbon capture and sequestration becoming entrenched as the preferred near-term approach to CO2 abatement. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.