Section C

• Factors that affect energy supply


  Conflict can prevent energy sources from being extracted

  Climate can affect the efficiency of renewable sources

  The development of a country will affect technology available
• Impacts of Energy Insecurity

  Agriculture requires a lot of energy to be used

  Industries require a constant supply of electricity

  When supply cant meet demand, the price of fuel increases
• Evaluation of energy sources

  Fossil fuels

  • Cheap to mine and are high demand
  • Releases CO2 and methane, non-renewable so has limited supply

  Nuclear energy

  • Reliable throughout the year
  • Radioactive waste must be sealed, very expensive to decommission

  Solar Power

  • Costs are decreasing rapidly, has large potential in desert areas
  • Not efficient. Efficiency depends on climate, time of year and day
• Evaluation of energy sources 2

  Wind power

  • Low running costs, can be used year round
  • Is dependent on the weather and bird life can be affected

  Wave power

  • Most electricity is produced in the winter when demand is highest
  • Very expensive, Needs to survive storms

  Tidal power

  • Reliable source of energy
  • Very expensive and there are few schemes as of right now
• Evaluation of energy sources 3

  Hydroelectric power

  • Dams built for reservoirs can generate electricity
  • Large dams are expensive to build, disrupts fish migration

  Biomass

  • Cheap and easy to find and is renewable
  • Requires a lot of space to grow and store

  Geothermal

  • Low maintenance costs
  • High installation costs
• Which countries have a energy surplus/deficit?

  Surplus

  • Russia due to its large natural gas and oil fields
  • Saudi Arabia due to their large amounts of oil

  Deficit

  • UK as its coal supply has been largely used up
  • Asia due its rapidly growing population meaning supply is outweighed by demand
• What makes nuclear energy controversial?

  Has benefits such as:

  • Reliable source of energy
  • Uranium is concentrated meaning there are smaller mining plants
  • Creates many employment opportunities

  However, there is a big downside which is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown which can have long lasting effects