Research Proposal: “Evaluating energy security in the Pakistan: Using four ‘R’s Approach”

Chief Investigator: Qasim Ali

Research Team: Muhammad Arslan Usman, Hina Ali Balouch, Shania Nisar

Introduction

Energy security has become an emerging area of focus in international relations, with high energy prices, the increased demand and competition for geographically concentrated resources, the fear of resource scarcity and/or depletion in the near future and concerns with the likely social and political effects of climate change. Due to its polysemic nature, few works have made a serious attempt to clarify the concept of energy security (Chester, 2010). In the existing literature, it is most commonly defined as reliable supplies of energy at reasonable prices to support the economy and industry (Dorian et al., 2006). Most studies conceptualise energy security in terms of security of oil supplies (Fried and Trezise, 1993; Stringer, 2008). This oil supply- based focus has as its cornerstones reducing vulnerability to foreign threats or pressure, preventing a supply crisis from occurring and minimising the economic and military impact of a supply crisis once it has occurred. These goals implicitly assume an ‘oil supply crisis’ as the focus of energy security. In essence, the central tenets of conventional oil-importer focussed energy security policy are: (1) reduction of threats to oil supply, and (2) operating in a mode of crisis management. These tenets constitute a shared view among many key energy policy-makers in both Asia and the West.

Pakistan was one of the first countries in Asia to use natural gas as a major source of energy supply. This was due to the discovery of the Sui gas field in 1952; its commercial use started in 1955. Now, however, Pakistan has curtailed natural gas supplies for industrial uses, electricity generation, and domestic cooking and heating. This curtailment has caused severe disruptions in public lives, and declining industrial activity. Anyone who has visited Pakistan during recent years can testify to the electricity brown-outs for several hours each day. Many people would find it difficult to imagine not having air conditioning, let alone fans, when the outside temperatures reach 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Efforts made by Pakistan government to solve energy shortage problem or to promote regional energy integration is still at primitive stage. To assist in explaining some of the concepts associated with energy security and to show how an individual or organization can improve energy security, this paper introduces the “four ‘R’s of energy security”: review (understanding the problem), reduce (using less energy), replace (shifting to secure sources), and restrict (limiting new demand to secure sources), while attempting to bridge the energy issue and the concept of security at the same time.

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Objectives

To start a debate and create awareness among general public, policymakers, and politicians regarding energy security as understanding of energy issues will be essential to the health and well-being of any economy and society in the twenty-first century.

It will conceptualize non- traditional dimension of security and definition of the energy security in the Pakistan.

To Identify opportunities for investment in the Energy Sector of Pakistan by helping Pakistan to serve Energy corridor for Asian & central Asian countries.

It will help in identifying the obstacles obstructing energy cooperation in the region. and help us to contribute effectively for regional energy (economic) integration in the region.

Research Background

The methodology applied for this is the “four ‘R’s of energy security”: review (understanding the problem), reduce (using less energy), replace (shifting to secure sources), and restrict (limiting new demand to secure sources). The first ‘R’ of energy security is a Review it is dictated by its energy supplies, the infrastructure required for producing, distributing, and possibly storing the energy, and the associated costs to the consumer. There are two relationships between supply and infrastructure: first, the lack of infrastructure will exclude the consumer from accessing those forms of energy that rely on it, and second, the absence of affordable supply, regardless of the availability of infrastructure, will mean the consumer is unable to benefit from that energy source.

The Second ‘R’ of energy security is a Reduce mean such actions that lead to a reduction in energy demand that can have an impact on energy security. It can be accomplished through energy conservation or energy efficiency, or both. In energy conservation, less energy is available for a particular energy service, meaning that the same service is not performed to its previous levels, whereas energy efficiency allows the same level of service to be achieved with less energy.

The Third ‘R’ of energy security is a Replace which requires the replacement of insecure energy supplies with secure ones. It is achieved by either diversifying energy supplies or changing infrastructure to allow alternative energy sources. One of the earliest references to the need for diversification is attributed to Winston Churchill in 1910, when, after overseeing the conversion of the Royal Navy to potentially insecure sources of Persian oil, he stated, “Safety and certainty in oil lie in variety and variety alone”. Alternative energy sources differ from the existing energy source but perform the same or similar task, often

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using different infrastructure. One such example is the worldwide switch from oil to coal and nuclear for electrical generation in the late 1970s due to rising oil costs, driven in part by the first oil shock in 1970s.

The Fourth ‘R’ of energy security is a Restriction with main focus to limit new demand to secure sources. For Example A number of US states have enacted RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) legislation, for emissions reduction or energy security, or both.

Research QuestionsThe following specific questions will guide the research.

In what ways can the study of energy security help us in examining the problem of energy crises in Pakistan?

Is the four R approach help us in understanding the current Energy security policy of Pakistan?

Will this strategic tool helps us in same fashion as it helps for explain energy security and climate issues to the parliamentarians of Canada?

Research Impact

The research will provide a new way to look to the energy security policy in Pakistan’s context. It will also provide us conceptual and theoretical development, suitable for constructing a fundamental understanding of the development and maintenance of energy security policy for 21st century. It will further contribute to thinking about how such small pieces of four variables work in global energy security picture. Uniquely, our novel approach to investigating energy security will provide insights into potential openings for intervention in energy intensive policy making and its impact on different sections of community. In more immediate terms, the research will provide platform for further debate on this issue in Pakistan.

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