Test yourself on Energy Resource Management with exam style questions, marked instantly.
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Quiz yourself on Energy Resource ManagementGet your flashcardsBuild my revision planTrack my progress🧠 Exam Framework: DIRECT
Use this mnemonic to evaluate any energy source or strategy — whether in a 4-mark explain or a 6-mark evaluate question:
D — Dependability — Is it reliable? Can it supply power continuously (baseload), or is it intermittent? Gas and nuclear: yes. Wind and solar: depends on weather. Intermittency requires backup or storage.
I — Import dependence — Does it create dependence on foreign suppliers? Gas creates import dependence (Germany-Russia). Renewables reduce it, because sunlight and wind cannot be cut off by a foreign government. Nuclear requires uranium imports but in tiny quantities.
R — Running cost and construction cost — How expensive is it to build and operate? Solar has near-zero running costs (sunlight is free) but requires upfront installation. Gas is cheap to build but fuel costs are volatile. Nuclear is very expensive to build but cheap to run.
E — Environmental impact — What are the carbon emissions and ecological effects? Coal: worst. Gas: high but less than coal. Nuclear: very low lifecycle. Wind/solar: very low but not zero (mining, land use).
C — Carbon emissions and climate — Does this source help or harm the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Fossil fuels: counterproductive. Renewables and nuclear: compatible with climate goals.
T — Trade-offs and tensions — Every source involves trade-offs. Use this to reach a judgement: security vs sustainability, cost vs reliability, short-term vs long-term. The best exam answers identify the specific trade-off for the specific source and context.
Memory tip for the two case studies:
Nigeria = Not getting oil benefits to ordinary people (80% oil revenue, 40% no electricity — remember the contrast)
Germany = Green but Gas-dependent (50% renewable electricity but still stuck on Russian gas for heating)
Make this stick
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