1. Altered States
-The new international energy order
Klare depicts that in the new energy order, countries can be divided into energy-surplus and energy-deficit nations.
Deficit states such as China, Japan, and the United States are compelled to pay ever higher prices for imported fuels as they compete with one another for those materials the surplus states are prepared to supply. Energy-deficient countries may also forge strategic partnerships with friendly energy-rich states, often cementing these arrangements with massive arms transfers and new or revived military alliances
-Klare states that ownership of untapped petroleum reserves is being concentrated in the hands of national oil companies (NOCs)
The NOCs are often driven by what the Congressional Research Service terms “governmentally mandated objectives” – redistribution of national wealth, creation of jobs, promotion of national economic development, etc. But many times, NOCs are also being wielded by their governments as a tool of foreign policy.
-The commanding Role of the state
Because the acquisition of adequate supplies of energy has always been a national priority, government officials have long played a significant role in the procurement and distribution of vital fuels.
“Resource nationalism” the management of energy flows in accordance with vital state interests – the state, itself, is acquiring greater authority over national energy sectors.
“Statist” or “neo-mercantilist”: misleading to conclude that the energy behaviors of China and other rising powers as statist. Klare argues that the resurgence of “statist” energy behavior is not the product of singular economic system, instead, a consequence of the fundamental characteristics of energy in this demanding new era.
2. Seeking more, finding less
The problem: worldwide energy demand in 2030 will be so much greater that those natural resources may not satisfy future expectation. Oil production will