Elsevier

Energy

Volume 34, Issue 10, October 2009, Pages 1715-1720
Energy

The additional benefits of setting up an energy security centre

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2009.07.038Get rights and content

Abstract

An Agreement of Cooperation was concluded in 2008 on the setting up of an Energy Security Centre amongst the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Economy and Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Office for Research and Technology and the Prime Minister's Office. This paper summarizes the findings for the setting up of the Centre and creating the necessary conditions required for its operation. The main idea is that qualitatively new conditions to facilitate effective problem solving to meet the demands of mankind for energy are needed. The key part of this work is the creation of the structures of a global problem solving network. It will function as a network of energy security knowledge centres (KC). A number of KC with different specialisation will be built on these structures, resulting in a global network with new synergies, which will in return foster the development of new capabilities and the emergence of new way of thinking. The paper discusses the results related to the application of a global approach to energy security and points out the necessity of regarding energy security and environmental protection as integral parts of the system.

Section snippets

The need for an energy security centre

The functions of an energy security centre, to be outlined below, should meet an objective demand at the level of society. This demand is related to the creation of conditions used in the implementation of political and economy-driven decisions aimed at meeting, as efficiently as possible, the energy needs of the society at any point in time. The task (of meeting these needs) is rather comprehensive. It involves at least four types of challenge to be addressed:

  • The problem of energy security has

Basic functions

The conditions required for a substantially new institutional and infrastructural background are provided by think tanks and their global networks. It should be emphasised that not “every type” of think tank (i.e. a centre of some sort bearing that name) will be capable of performing the job required. We are of the view that the term ‘think tank’ applies only to those institutions that have a permanent capability for ensuring with efficiency the availability of three key functions at the

Virtual solution

To exploit these functions required the availability of a special infrastructure based on high-tech solutions. This infrastructure needs interactive development in order to successfully comply at all times with requirements generated by new challenges and also in order to exploit new opportunities emerging in the wake of rapid technological development. This objective cannot be achieved economically if project financing is to be carried out as the Government's responsibility. Both the creation

Global network – global institution

Energy security problems cannot be dealt with at the level of nation states. Moreover, there are signs that cooperation at the level of the European Union equally falls short of being sufficiently efficient to guarantee satisfaction of the energy needs of Member States. What is required is global cooperation and global solutions. First, a global network of energy security centres needs to be set up. Integrated into an entire network, exploiting the positive synergies inherent in the act of

Characteristics and the benefits of these characteristics

The Energy Security Centre will be formed as a new, autonomous, public administration institution (such as the Public Procurement Council, the National Radio and Television Commission and the Hungarian Competition Authority – In the USA these are agencies only responsible to Congress), but will be substantially different from other autonomous institutes in its operation as well as its organisational and infrastructural base, given that:

  • a)

    It will have no licence to operate as an authority.

  • b)

    It will

Extreme difficulties

To exploit the exceptional benefits and opportunities derived from the setting up of the Centre entails extreme difficulties:

  • A political consensus is required regarding the setting up of the Centre as part of a global network.

  • NATO participation as well as its cooperation with the global network is required.

  • An appropriate relationship – at least in issues related to energy security – between the European Security and Defence Policy and NATO needs to be achieved.

  • The creation of a network of

Macro level and global approach

The development of a global network of energy security centres facilitates the development of a new way of thinking concerning energy security as well. The success of our efforts directed at guaranteeing energy security mainly depends on our approach to problem solving. More precisely, it depends on the extent to which key decision makers and leaders responsible for the implementation of decisions are able to adopt a macro level, or global approach.

It was M. Kaleczki who first brought attention

Conclusion

The increasing complexity of energy security problems has already reached the boundaries of computability. This indicates that the problem solving capacities of mankind should be based on qualitatively new foundations. The solution lies in the development of a global problem solving network, similar to the one envisioned by Leibniz. We should start developing a network of virtual knowledge centres specialised in different fields on the bases of global information technology. The IT conditions

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