Knowledge Organiser: Energy Security and Management
Part of Energy Resource Management · GCSE GCSE Geography revision
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Energy Security and Management within Energy Resource Management for GCSE Geography. Revise Energy Resource Management in The Challenge of Resource Management for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 13 of 13 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 13 of 13
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
Knowledge Organiser: Energy Security and Management
Key Terms
- Energy security — reliable, affordable access without dangerous import dependence
- Energy mix — combination of sources (fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables)
- Intermittency — wind/solar output varies with weather; need backup or storage
- Resource curse — resource wealth leads to worse development outcomes
- Dutch disease — oil/gas revenues strengthen currency, destroying other exports
- Energiewende — Germany's renewable energy transition (launched 2000)
- Feed-in tariff — guaranteed above-market price for renewable electricity
Nigeria Key Facts (LIC/NEE)
- 8th largest oil producer in the world
- 80% of export revenue from oil
- ~40% of population (85 million people) lack electricity
- Businesses lose up to 20 hours of grid power per day
- $14 billion/year spent on diesel generators
- Niger Delta oil spills — Shell involved in 1,000+
- M-KOPA solar: 3 million+ pay-as-you-go households connected
- Resource curse: corruption + Dutch disease + MEND conflict
Germany Key Facts (HIC)
- Energiewende launched 2000
- Renewables: 6% electricity in 2000 → ~50% by 2023
- ~30,000 onshore wind turbines
- ~2 million solar rooftop installations
- 55% gas from Russia pre-2022 — became geopolitical vulnerability
- 2022: Emergency LNG terminals built in months; coal plants reactivated
- Energy prices tripled 2022 — cost-of-living crisis
- Last nuclear plants closed April 2023
Global Energy Facts
- Fossil fuels = ~80% of global primary energy
- Middle East holds ~50% of known oil reserves
- Russia holds ~17% of global gas reserves
- Solar panel cost fallen 99.8% since 1976
- 4 million deaths/year from indoor cooking fire pollution
- 759 million people globally lack electricity access
- UK: ~40% renewables, 32% gas, 13% nuclear (2023 electricity)
- Hinkley Point C nuclear: £33bn, ready ~2031-2035
DIRECT Mnemonic (Evaluate Any Energy Source)
- Dependability — is it reliable/baseload?
- Import dependence — does it create geopolitical vulnerability?
- Running and construction cost
- Environmental impact
- Carbon emissions and climate
- Trade-offs and tensions between priorities
Exam Essentials
- Never say "renewables = always best" — acknowledge intermittency and storage limits
- Nigeria: resource curse, not resource shortage
- Germany: Energiewende succeeded for electricity; failed to address gas dependence for heating
- Level 3 evaluate = both sides + named evidence + clear supported judgement ("Overall...")
- Compare LIC (Nigeria) with HIC (Germany) — different types of insecurity
Common Mistakes
- Saying renewables are always the best solution: Wind and solar have intermittency problems (output varies with weather) and require expensive storage — Germany kept coal plants running in 2022 when gas imports from Russia were cut; always acknowledge trade-offs
- Confusing energy poverty with energy shortage: Nigeria has 8th largest oil reserves globally but 40% of its population lacks electricity — this is the resource curse, not physical shortage; governance and infrastructure are the barriers
- Only comparing HIC and LIC without explaining WHY they differ: Germany's challenge is transitioning away from fossil fuels; Nigeria's challenge is basic access — state the specific type of insecurity and its cause, not just "LICs are worse off"
- Ignoring geopolitical dimensions of energy: Germany's 55% gas dependency on Russia became a severe vulnerability in 2022 — energy security has political as well as physical dimensions that examiners reward in evaluation answers
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Practice Questions for Energy Resource Management
Which of the following is a renewable energy source?
Explain why fossil fuels are classified as non-renewable energy sources. [2 marks]
Quick Recall Flashcards
15 questions on Energy Resource Management — practise free
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