Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transatlantic energy relations: a view from Washington

  • Published:
Journal of Transatlantic Studies Aims and scope

Abstract

Recent upheaval in the global energy system — how energy is produced, transported and consumed — has unsettled long-held notions of energy security. For decades, transatlantic cooperation helped undergird the system’s stability, but how is the relationship faring in the current era of energy uncertainty? In this special issue, experts from across Europe and the USA, including advisers to the executive and legislative branches of both the EU and the USA, to senior military commanders and to major international organisations and companies, examine various facets of the transatlantic energy relationship and whether it is characterised by convergence or divergence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For more on the global energy system, see Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, and Andreas Wenger, ‘The Changing International Energy System and Its Implications for Cooperation in International Politics’, in Energy and the Transformation of International Relations. Toward a New Producer-Consumer Framework, ed. A. Wenger, R. Orttung, and J. Perovic (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 3–25

    Google Scholar 

  2. J. Perovic, ‘Changing Markets, Politics, and Perceptions: Dealing with Energy (Inter-) Dependencies’, in Energy and the Transformation of International Relations. Toward a New Producer-Consumer Framework, ed. A. Wenger, R. Orttung, and J. Perovic (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 26–58.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Jeremy Shapiro and Nick Witney, Towards a Post-American Europe: A Power Audit of EU-US Relations (London: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), 2009)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Carla Monteleone, ‘The End of the Euro-Atlantic Pluralistic Security Community? The New Agenda of Transatlantic Security Relations in the Global Political System’, in Perceptions and Policy in Transatlantic Relations: Prospective Visions from the US and Europe, ed. Natividad Fernandez Sola and Michael Smith (Hoboken: Taylor & Francis, 2009), 136–68.

    Google Scholar 

  5. András Deák, ‘Towards a New Balance with Russia? Russian Energy Challenges and the West’, in Transatlantic Energy Future Strategic Perspective on Energy Security Climate Change and New Technologies in Europe and in the US, ed. David Koranyi (Washington: Johns Hopkins University, 2011), 247–67.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Robert Kagan, America and Europe in the New World Order (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Agt von Chrisoph, ‘Buying time: Energy and Art of Sustainable Advancement in Transatlantic Relations’, in Transatlantic 2020: A Tale of Four Futures, ed. Daniel Hamilton and Kurt Volker (Washington, DC: Center for Transatlantic Relations, John Hopkins University, 2011), 257–86.

    Google Scholar 

  8. The authors would like to thank the Stiftung Deutsch-Amerikanische Wissenschaftsbeziehungen (SDAW/Foundation German-American Academic Relations), which provided Karen Smith Stegen with funding for this research project.

  9. Mark Ostrhoorn, ‘Climate Change and the Future of Clean Energy: Towards Transatlantic Convergence’, in Transatlantic Energy Future, ed. David Koranyi (Washington: Johns Hopkins University, 2011), 27–54

    Google Scholar 

  10. J.T Mathews, ‘Estranged Partners’, Foreign Policy, no. 127 (2001): 48–53.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Paweł Świeboda, ‘Climate Policy: The Quest for Policy, Europe and US Multilateralism under Obama’, in The Obama Moment. European and American Perspective, ed. Alvaro de Vasconcelas and Marcin Zaborowski (Paris: European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), 2009), 111–123; Ostrhoorn, ‘Climate Change’.

    Google Scholar 

  12. In Copenhagen, the EU pledged a 20% emission reduction by 2020 with 1990 as the baseline and the USA pledged a 17% reduction by 2020 with 2005 as the baseline, see UNFCCCC, Appendix I — Quantified Economy-wide Emissions Targets for 2020’, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference 2009, https://doi.org/unfccc.int/meetings/copenhagen_dec_2009/items/5264.php. Although the US’ 17% appears only 3% lower than the EU’s 20% offer, the different benchmark years means that the US offer was actually only a relative 4% reduction.

  13. For more see European Union, ‘European Union welcomes Cancuń Agreement as Important Step towards Global Framework for Climate Action’, Press Releases RAPID, December 10, 2010, https://doi.org/europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference_IP/10/1699; US Department of State, Secretary Clinton Welcomes Cancun Agreements, December 11, 2010, https://doi.org/blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/secretary_clinton_welcomes_cancun_ agreements (accessed June 11, 2012); FCCC, ‘Report of the Conference of the Parties on its Sixteenth Session’, held in Cancun from November 29 to December 10, 2010, March 15, 2011, https://doi.org/unfccc.int/resource/docs/2010/cop16/eng/07a01.pdf#page_2.

  14. European Union, ‘Durban Conference Delivers Breakthrough for Climate (12/12/2011)’, Press Releases RAPID, December 11, 2011, https://doi.org/europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference_MEMO/11/895&format_HTML&aged_0&language_EN&guiLanguage_en.

    Google Scholar 

  15. See, for example, Daniel Yergin, ‘Ensuring Energy Security’, Foreign Affairs 85, no. 2, (2006): 69–82; and Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP), ‘Study on Energy Supply Security and Geopolitics’ (TREN/C1-06-2002), CIEP Final Report, January 2004, https://doi.org/www.clingendael.nl/publications/2004/200401000_ciep_study.pdf.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. See Aad Correljé and Coby van der Linde, ‘Energy Supply Security and Geopolitics: A European Perspective,’ Energy Policy 34, no. 5 (March 2006): 532–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Richard Youngs, ‘Europe’s External Energy Policy: Between Geopolitics and the Market’ (Center for European Policy Studies, November 2007).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Robert Kagan, ‘Power and Weakness’, Policy Review 13 (June/July 2002): 3–28.

    Google Scholar 

  19. For an elaboration of how energy can be used as political tool, see Karen Smith Stegen, ‘Deconstructing the ‘Energy Weapon’: Russia’s Threat to Europe as Case Study’, Energy Policy 39, no. 10 (2011): 6505–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Richard G. Lugar, ‘Opening Statement for Hearing on Oil, Oligarchs and Opportunities: Energy from Central Asia to Europe’ (US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, June 12, 2008).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Angela E. Stent, Soviet Energy and Western Europe (Washington DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1982)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Jonathan P. Stern, Oil and Gas in the Former Soviet Union. The Changing Foreign Investment Agenda (London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1993)

    Google Scholar 

  23. David G. Victor and Nadejda Makarova Victor, ‘The Belarus Connection: Exporting Russian Gas to Germany and Poland’, Working Paper #26, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, May 2004, https://doi.org/www.bakerinstitute.org/publications/thebelarus-connection-exporting-russian-gas-to-germany-and-poland.

    Google Scholar 

  24. European Commission, EU-Russia Energy Relations, https://doi.org/ec.europa.eu/energy/international/russia/russia_en.htm.

  25. W. Eden-Fleig, ‘Freund oder Feind?’ ZEIT online, December 12, 2007, https://doi.org/images.zeit.de/text/online/2007/52/abhaengigkeit-deutschland-russland

    Google Scholar 

  26. Ronald Goötz, ‘Russlands Erdgas und Europas Energiesicherheit’, SWP-Studie (Berlin: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, 2008)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Alexander Rahr, ‘Putins Energie’, WELT online, January 3, 2006, https://doi.org/www.welt.de/print-welt/article188175/Putins_Energie.html.

    Google Scholar 

  28. European Commission, Communication from the Commission of the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Second Strategic Energy Review _ An EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan (Brussels: European Commission, November 13, 2008), https://doi.org/eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri_COM:2008:0781:FIN:EN:PDF.

    Google Scholar 

  29. European Parliament, ‘Directive 2003/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 Concerning Common Rules for the Internal Market in Electricity and Repealing’, Directive 96/92/ECEU, July 15, 2003, Official Journal of the European Union, https://doi.org/eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri_OJ:L:2003:176:0037:0037:EN:PDF.

    Google Scholar 

  30. For more see Jan Frederik Braun, ‘EU Energy Policy under the Treaty of Lisbon Rules. Between a New Policy and Business as Usual’, EPIN Working Paper, No. 31, February 2011, https://doi.org/www.ceps.eu/system/files/book/2011/02/EPINWP31BraunonEUEnergyPolicyunderLisbon.pdf (accessed June 25, 2012).

    Google Scholar 

  31. International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2009 (Paris: International Energy Agency, 2009).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Richard Morningstar, ‘The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline: A Retrospective and a Look at the Future’, Central Asia & Caucasus Analyst, August 23, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  33. L. Ruseckas, ‘U.S. Policy and Caspian Pipeline Politics: The Two Faces of Baku-Ceyhan’, in Succession and Longterm Stability in the Caspian Region, Caspian Studies Program Experts Conference (Cambridge, MA: BCSIA, 2000)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Martha Brill Olcott, A New Direction for U.S. Policy in the Caspian Region, Summary, February 2009 (Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), https://doi.org/carnegieendowment.org/files/us_caspian_policy.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  35. European Commission, An EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan.

  36. Jozias Van Aartsen, Project of European Interest (Brussels: European Commission, February 2009), https://doi.org/ec.europa.eu/energy/infrastructure/tent_e/doc/axis/2009_axis_linking_activity_report_2007_2009.pdf (accessed June 11, 2012).

    Google Scholar 

  37. International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2011, Special Report “Are We Entering a Golden Age of Gas” (Paris: International Energy Agency, 2011), 23.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  38. European Commission, Prague Summit on Southern Corridor. The Declaration, May 8, 2009, https://doi.org/www.eu2009.cz/en/news-and-documents/press-releases/declaration—praguesummit—southern-corridor—may-8—2009-21533/.

    Google Scholar 

  39. European Commission, The Joint Declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor (Baku: European Commission, January 13, 2011), https://doi.org/ec.europa.eu/energy/infrastructure/strategy/doc/2011_01_13_joint_declaration_southern_corridor.pdf;ia]28a_European Commission, ‘EU Starts Negotiations on Caspian Pipeline to Bring Gas to Europe’, European Commission Press Release, Brussels, September 12, 2011, https://doi.org/europa.eu/rapid/press-ReleasesAction.do?reference_IP/11/1023&format_HTML&aged_0&language_EN&gui Language_en.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Yergin, ‘Ensuring Energy Security’.

  41. US Energy Information Administration, World Shale Gas Resources: an Initial Assessment of 14 Regions outside the United States 2010, April 2011, https://doi.org/www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/worldshalegas/pdf/fullreport.pdf, 4.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Alice Tallents, ‘European Gas Supply and Demand, and the Outlook for Shale Gas’, Analysis, no. 3 (May 2011), https://doi.org/oilgas-info.jogmec.go.jp/pdf/4/4368/201105_043a.pdf (accessed May 15, 2012), 10_12.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Lionel Kapff and Jacques Pelkmans, ‘Interconnector Investment for a Well-functioning Internal Market. What EU Regime of Regulatory Incentives?’ BEER no.18 (2010), Department of European Economic Studies, Natolin, https://doi.org/www.coleurop.be/content/studyprogrammes/eco/publications/BEER/BEER18.pdf (accessed June 11, 2012).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Arianna Checchi, Gas Interconnectors in Europe: More than a Funding Issue (Centre for European Policy Studies, April 9, 2009), https://doi.org/www.ceps.eu/book/gas-interconnectorseurope-more-funding-issue (accessed June 12, 2012); Kapff and Pelkmans, ‘Interconnector Investment’.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Checchi, ‘Gas Interconnectors’.

  46. Checchi, ‘Gas Interconnectors’; Kapff and Pelkmans, ‘Interconnector Investment’; European Commission, 2009-2010 Report on Progress in Creating the Internal Gas and Electricity Market (Brussels: European Commission, June 9, 2011), https://doi.org/ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/legislation/doc/20100609_internal_market_report_2009_2010.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  47. European Commission, 2009_2010 Report on Progress, 3.

  48. Ibid., 17_23.

  49. Checchi, ‘Gas Interconnectors’; Kapff and Pelkmans, ‘Interconnector Investment’.

  50. European Commission, 2009-2010 Report on Progress.

  51. Kirsten Westphal, ‘Energy in an Era of Unprecedented Uncertainty: International Energy Governance in the Face of Macroeconomic, Geopolitical, and Systemic Challenges’, in Transatlantic Energy Future, ed. Koranyi, 1–27.

  52. Stefan Fröhlich, Future Perspectives for Transatlantic Relations, https://doi.org/www.aicgs.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/AICGS-Washington-Froehlich.pdf (accessed June 19, 2012). This comment was in reference to energy security among other broad issues.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Hal Harvey, Director of the American Energy Innovation Council and Climate Activist, telephone interview by Karen Smith Stegen, June 28, 2012.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jacobs University/Bremer Energie Institut, Bremen, Germany

    Karen Smith Stegena (KAEFER Professor of Renewable Energy and Environmental Politics) & Karen Smith Stegen (Postdoctoral Fellow)

Authors
  1. Karen Smith Stegena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen Smith Stegen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen Smith Stegena.

Additional information

Karen Smith Stegen is the KAEFER Chair of Renewable Energy and Environmental Politics at Jacobs University and an associated scholar with the Bremer Energie Institut, both located in Bremen, Germany. She holds an international MBA and received her Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University. Dr Smith Stegen began her energy career over two decades ago with a major US energy company. Her recent publications include articles for Energy Policy and Risk Management, and she has been a featured speaker at numerous industry and academic conferences.

Julia Kusznir is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Energy and Environmental Politics at the Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany. Her research interests include the international development of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, the energy security of the European Union and the impact of energy markets on national politics in the countries of the former Soviet Union. She received her doctorate in 2007 from the University of Bremen. She has held posts at the Research Centre for East European Studies, Bremen and the Department of Comparative Political Studies in the University of Regensburg and was a visiting research fellow at NUPI in Norway.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stegena, K.S., Stegen, K.S. Transatlantic energy relations: a view from Washington. J Transatl Stud 10, 313–327 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2012.734668

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2012.734668

Keywords

Search

Navigation