The importance of scale to energy security

Figures & data

Table 1. Number of people relying on traditional biomass.

Country	Population (in millions)	% Total population
China	706	56
Indonesia	155	74
Rest of East Asia	137	37
India	585	58
Rest of South Asia	128	41
Latin America	96	23
North Africa/Middle East	8	0.05
Sub-Saharan Africa	575	89
Total	2390	52

Table 2. Energy security scales, actors, and concerns.

Scale	Actors	Energy security concerns
Household	Individuals and families	Equitable and reliable access to energy services; Pollution and public health
Workplace	Employers and employees	Reliable and consistent, high-quality supplies; occupational hazards
National	Municipal and urban planners, energy system operators, government officials, national politicians, NGOs, corporations	Ozone pollution, acid rain, infrastructure vulnerabilities (pipelines, transmission lines, port facilities)
Global	Intergovernmental organizations, corporations, multilateral financial organizations	Fossil fuel resource depletion (geographic concentration, price volatility); Geopolitics and war; trade and investment barriers; transboundary pollution and externalities (including climate change)

Figure 1. US Natural Gas Supply Basins Relative to Major Natural Gas Pipeline Transportation Corridors, 2008. This complicated and extensive network is necessary for the energy security of large and robust countries such as the US. Its extensive nature also makes it vulnerable to accidental and intentional disruption.