From Concept to Policy: Discussing Energy Politics and Energy Crises

Introduction

The gradual increase in the need for energy resources in the continuation of social life and economic development has brought the importance of energy policies both in general government policies and in international relations. While traditional energy policies are handled in the context of accessing and transferring energy resources, it is expected that new energy policies will be formed with dimensions such as resource supply, security, infrastructure development, control of commercial dynamics, sustainability, efficiency and environmental awareness. While the success in the preparation and implementation of energy policies can bring serious gains to the states, otherwise they may face problems in case of energy crises. Therefore, approaches such as energy management and energy diplomacy are becoming more and more popular.

Intense relations are observed between the actors such as states and multinational companies in the energy field, sometimes through cooperation and sometimes through conflict. Undoubtedly, the reason for this situation is that traditional energy sources are exhaustible, they are only found in some parts of the world and their profitability is quite high. The conflict of individual policies and interests thus paves the way for the formation of crises. It is inevitable that the crises arising from energy conflicts will have global and long-term effects.

The increasing value of energy resources, usage areas and trade brings the social, national, regional and international dimensions of the issue to the fore. Continuation of energy flow, price stability, smooth trade, and development of relevant technologies and systems are very important. It is very important to evaluate energy, especially in terms of continuity, cost and sustainability. In this regard, while energy security and energy policies are handled in a more serious framework, problems occurring in energy-related processes and practices can cause crises on a global scale. For this reason, it will be very useful to develop a common understanding in order to seize the opportunities in the field of energy and to combat the problems.

In this study, a detailed framework regarding energy and energy policies will be drawn in line with the general framework of the book. The meaning of energy, the importance, types and usage of energy resources, the factors in the formation of energy policies, energy-related sectors, energy security, the place of energy security in government policies, the causes of energy crises, energy management and energy diplomacy will be introduced and a comprehensive discussion will take place. Thus, in the light of today's developments, the world of energy will be presented to the reader in different dimensions. After focusing specifically on energy security and energy crises, the study will come to end with a discussion on the understanding of global energy governance.