Thesis (M.U.A.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-126). Also available via the Internet.

The GB electricity system is in a state of change, both physically and operationally. The future of the electricity system needs to be low carbon and secure. Current system structures revolve around large-scale centralised generation to deliver this security. This thesis argues that with a broad definition of energy security, which reflects the future needs of the electricity system, a decentralised approach would be more beneficial to deliver these needs. This thesis identifies the governance processes that make up current energy security and evaluates how these might change in a system of decentralised electricity. The research consists of 31 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders of the electricity system from the government, regulatory, market and civil society based actor groups. In addition to this, the research utilised a secondary analysis of consultation responses and Government publications. This thesis uses multi-layer perspective theory to interpret the transition from a centralised to decentralised electricity system. In addition to the multi-layer perspective, an advancement of the governance perspective was also required. This develops the understanding of the changes to the actor relationships rules and the incentives of a decentralised electricity system. This research developed for key findings. Firstly, a decentralised electricity future would introduce a larger number of small investors, who in a centralised system would not exist. The second key point is, the UK Government is responsible for security of supply and their actions are focused on centralised electricity technologies. The third point is that energy security (in its boarder definition) is the responsibility of a network of actors working together. The fourth point is that current energy security is incorrectly dominated by supply meeting demand. The outcome of the research is that a decentralised electricity system would be beneficial to the broader concept of energy security which is used in this thesis.

This thesis considers India's pursuit of energy security. Defining energy security within traditional parameters of supply, delivery, diversification of fuels and suppliers, and affordable prices; the work considers India's energy security condition by surveying the core energy sectors including coal, oil and gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and renewables. India's pursuit of energy security is then disaggregated into domestic and international arenas and both are analysed in turn. Considerable attention is paid to the international dimension where India's quest to acquire energy resources is contextualised within bilateral relations with specific countries. What the proceeding analysis makes clear is that the international arena offers considerable opportunities, but also constraints on, the realisation of greater energy security. Chapter one analyses global trends in the main energy sectors of coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and renewables. Historically, the fortunes of the global energy sectors have mirrored trends in the global economy. Since 2008, most of the world's major industrialised economies have experienced negative or greatly reduced levels of growth. This is primarily due to the proliferation of vast quantities of debt that have capsized several financial institutions and are adversely affecting the liquidity and solvency of many developed governments. The global energy sectors have also been deeply affected by the economic downturn with access to funds for the development of new infrastructure squeezed. The recent poor economic growth of these countries has further accentuated the downward trend they have experienced in energy consumption. Nevertheless, many parts of the developing world, including India, have only been marginally affected by the global economic downturn and continue to develop rapidly. Consequentially most of the growth in demand for energy is coming from developing countries, particularly India. Although there are slight variations depending on sector, this dual trend of stagnation in the developed world and rapid growth in the developing is one ofthe recurring themes in the global energy markets. It is within this context that the second chapter considers India's energy security condition. Detailed analysis of the coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric and renewable sectors demonstrate succinctly that India is experiencing considerable growing pains. While several challenges are unique to each sector the chapter also identifies several systemic problems, including insufficient supply, rampant demand, a tendency to import.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is to provide an overview of Germany's energy supply options until 2020, the political implications and the respective consequences for Germany's foreign energy policy. The oil and gas supply situation for Germany will become more complex in the upcoming decade. Since oil imports from the UK and Syria are expected to cease after 2005, 18% of the current oil supply will have to be substituted within this decade. Russia may not be available to provide the amount necessary. The gas situation is somewhat less urgent, as a supply shift will have to take place only after 2010, when the Norwegian and Dutch gas reserves cease to satisfy the export demand. The only regions that will be able to provide oil and gas on a global level to meet the growing world demand will be the Middle East, Russia and other Caspian Sea neighbors. Germany's welfare is directly dependent on its economical success. As a highly industrialized country, Germany should take a tremendous interest not only in the future development of the international energy market, but also in attempting to influence the development immediately following that of its domestic needs. / Lieutenant Commander, German Navy

Thesis (M.S. in electrical engineering)--Washington State University, December 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-58).

No description available.

by J. F. Shapiro, D. E. White and D. O. Wood. / Supported in part by the U.S. Army Research Office (Durham) under Contract no. DAAG29-76-C-0064. / Bibliography: leaf [8].

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Robert E. Looney, Maria Rasmussen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-57). Also available online.

An ever increasing body of legislation and regulation is transforming the UK’s energy system and its surrounding national energy framework. Depending on the mechanisms that result from this process, new forms of engagement with energy, particularly electricity, might emerge. The current trajectory of UK energy policy leans towards a centralised scenario with a portfolio of centralised renewable energy technologies (i.e. geographically concentrated such as offshore wind), nuclear power stations and gas fired power stations with the option of Carbon Capture and Storage technologies if it becomes a commercially viable option (CCC, 2011). Forecasts predict that a combination of these technologies could place the UK on the right path to reach its 2050 carbon reduction commitments (UKERC, 2008). However, this approach fails to take broader benefits of decentralisation and localisation into account and many official documents such as the Microgeneration Strategy (DECC, 2011a) and those surrounding Community Energy Online (DECC, 2011b) point to a need for greater public engagement in the generation of energy in order to ‘derive greater benefits locally’ (DECC, 2011a: 45). The question remains in how far these diverging objectives can be achieved within the current regulatory environment as there is a lack of coordinated incentives in place to facilitate the development of new scales and ownership structures capable of promoting new forms of engagement at scales below the point at which economies of scales apply. This thesis seeks to establish what barriers are preventing community energy with the capacity to increase acceptance of renewable energy technologies while also contributing towards climate change action, energy security and the strengthening of local economic cycles from becoming more widely embedded in the UK. The main focus is on how ‘niche creation’ policies such as the feed-in tariff might provide the basis for overcoming these barriers by diffusing new scales and ownership structures of renewable energy technologies. Accompanying social innovations could potentially include more meaningful engagement with energy in general and renewable energy in particular, while also enabling communities willing to invest in renewable energy technologies to build resilient local energy infrastructures with the capacity to reduce the impact of increasing energy insecurity, fossil-fuel depletion and climate change constraints. In order to appreciate the potential of community energy in the UK, parallels are drawn to the governance of national energy frameworks in other European countries, Germany and Denmark in particular, that have provided the basis for successful community energy engagement.