The Challenge of Resource ManagementTopic Summary
Topic Summary: Energy Security and Management
Part of Energy Resource Management — GCSE Geography
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: 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
Topic Summary: 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