Energy Security Definition - What does it mean?

I just looked in a book, the Guide to Energy Management and I didn't find anything on Energy Security…  How do you manage Energy Security?  What does it mean?

Before you start scouring the web for various definitions on Energy Security, I will give you mine.  Energy Security means that when I turn on the light switch the light comes on and when I go to the gas station to fill up the car, the gas station has gas.  Also, the gas for the car and the electricity for the light will be available as long as I want.  Energy Security means energy is available and the energy supply is seemingly endless.  

Imagine if the lights went out and you didn’t know when or if they would come back on, so you take the car to the gas station to fill up to leave town but no gas, stuck no lights or gas…  What else isn’t working?  The economy!  Life would suck fast.  So we need to ensure our energy security now and in the future.

I worked on Air Force Space Command’s (AFSPC) Staff as an Energy Program Manager; AFSPC had 7 major installations and 134 locations throughout the world.  The facilities use a lot of energy so we implemented many energy saving programs.  However saving energy is not the same as energy security.  Energy Security is more than conserving energy.

A few years after working for AFSPC,  I was hired to help startup and run the Department of States’ first airbase.  The base was located in Baghdad, Iraq and our operations would start after the US Military withdrew for Iraq at the end of 2011.  We didn’t know what would happen, civil war? Terrorism?  So we had to prepare for the worst.  Our airbase was determined to set its own energy security criteria…  We converted all of our generators to run on Jet Fuel and increased our storage capability.  Our fuel was dual purpose; it could run the base and still have plenty of fuel to fly normal missions.  The dual use of jet fuel allowed us to be prepared for a “fall of Saigon” type of scenario; kind of like Iraq today.  This approach also allowed us to use a local supplier of jet fuel. We had plenty of fuel on hand for any issue and locals had incentive to supply us.  Our planning worked out well and we were tested multiple times in 2012 as many supply convoys were delayed or turned around.

Energy Security is having energy available and the energy supply is seemingly endless.  Leaders, planners and the community should determine how long endless is. 

Next time we will discuss ways to increase energy security in today’s world.  Then we will discuss the cost of energy security, paying more might be worth it. 

Thoughts?  

Endless… the sun gives us heat and it causes weather patterns and winds, all of which we can harness for energy.  I think that is an endless supply of energy since without the sun, it is the end.

Michael James Smyth