Security in Sustainable Energy Transitions: Interplay between Energy, Security, and Defence Policies in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Scotland

By providing a new qualitative analysis of policy coherence and integration between energy, security, and defence policies between 2006 and 2023, this book analyzes the impacts of policy interplay on energy transition through the lens of sustainability transitions research, security studies, energy security and geopolitics, and policy studies. The security aspects discussed range from national defence and geopolitics, to questions of energy security, positive security, and just transitions. Findings show that the policy interface around the energy-security nexus has often been incoherent. There is a lack of integration between security aspects, leading to ineffective policies from the perspective of decarbonisation and national security, which is evident in the European energy crisis following the war between Russia and Ukraine. This book is intended for researchers and experts interested in the energy transition and its connections to security and defence policies. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core. Cover Half-title page Title page Copyright page Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction: The Challenge of Zero-Carbon Energy Transitions and National Security 1.1 Conceptual Background 1.2 A Small Country Perspective: Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Scotland as the Research Foci 1.3 Research Method and Materials 1.4 Contents of the Book Part I Theoretical and Literature-Based Foundations 2 Understanding Security in the Context of Sustainability Transitions 2.1 Sustainability Transitions Research: Key Conceptualizations 2.2 Conceptualizing the Basics of Security for Sustainability Transitions 2.3 Security in Transitions Research 3 Energy Security and Geopolitics of Energy Transition 3.1 Conceptualization and History of Energy Security Research 3.2 Geopolitics of Renewables 3.2.1 Technology 3.2.2 Actors 3.2.3 Institutions 3.3 Energy Security in Europe 4 A Conceptual–Analytical Approach to Examining Security in Sustainability Transitions and Policy Interplay 4.1 Security as Part of the Sociotechnical Landscape for an Energy Regime 4.2 Policy Coherence at the Regime Level: Interplay of Energy Transition Policies with National Security and Defence Policies 4.3 Security in Change Processes: Niche Expansion and Regime Decline Part II Empirical Case Studies 5 Estonia: Long-Term Energy Independence and Oil Shale 5.1 Energy Regime 5.2 Security Regime 5.3 Perceptions of Russia as a Landscape Pressure at the Intersection of Energy and Security 5.4 Policy Coherence and Interplay 5.5 Niche Development, Regime (De)stabilization, and Positive and Negative Security 5.5.1 Oil Shale Phaseout in Ida-Viru County 5.5.2 Wind Power and Air Surveillance for Defence 5.5.3 Desynchronization from the Russian Grid 5.6 Concluding Remarks 6 Finland: Ambivalent Links between Energy and Security 6.1 Energy Regime 6.2 Security Regime 6.3 Perceptions of Russia as a Landscape Pressure at the Intersection of Energy and Security 6.4 Policy Coherence and Interplay 6.5 Niche Development, Regime (De)stabilization, and Positive and Negative Security 6.5.1 Wind Power and Its Conflict with the Defence System 6.5.2 Peat Energy and Its Promotion as Traditional Energy Security 6.5.3 Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline 6.6 Concluding Remarks 7 Norway: Contradiction of Oil for Export and Fully Renewable Electricity Supply 7.1 Energy Regime 7.2 Security Regime 7.3 Perceptions of Russia as a Landscape Pressure at the Intersection of Energy and Security 7.4 Policy Coherence and Interplay 7.5 Niche Development, Regime Stabilization, and Positive and Negative Security 7.5.1 Economic Security, Oil, and the Energy Transition 7.5.2 Security of Hydropower 7.5.3 Tensions around Wind Power Expansion 7.5.4 Security of Critical Infrastructure and Supply since 2022 7.6 Concluding Remarks 8 Scotland: From Oil to Wind under a Devolved Government and New Pressures for UK Energy Security 8.1 Energy Regime 8.1.1 The United Kingdom 8.1.2 Scotland 8.2 Security Regime 8.3 Perceptions of Russia as a Landscape Pressure at the Intersection of Energy and Security 8.4 Policy Coherence and Interplay 8.4.1 Interaction between Energy and Security Issues 8.4.2 Elements of Coordination between Energy and Security 8.5 Niche Development, Regime Destabilization, and Positive and Negative Security 8.6 Concluding Remarks Part III Conclusions 9 Insights into Zero-Carbon Energy, Sustainability Transitions, and Security 9.1 Interplay between Energy, Security, and Defence Policies 9.2 Securitization and Politicization of Energy Transitions 9.3 Security Implications of Energy Transitions 9.4 Technological, Actor-Based, and Institutional Aspects 9.5 Further Insights for Sustainability Transition Studies 9.6 Final Remarks References Index