Access to Energy
- Access to energy sources varies around the world, this access is affected by
- Physical factors: geology, relief and climate
- Accessibility
- Level of development
- Politics
Physical factors
- Geology (rock type) affects whether, coal, oil and gas have formed
- Some areas have the potential to access geothermal energy due to their location near plate margins or magma plumes
- Climate can affect whether renewable energy is efficient
- Solar power relies on clear skies
- Wind power needs enough wind but not gusts
- Extremes of temperature can make the extraction of oil, gas and coal difficult
- Hydroelectric power relies on steady levels of precipitation
Accessibility
- Where energy sources are inaccessible: deep underground or under oceans: this increases the cost of accessing the source
- The UK has large reserves of coal which are uneconomic to mine due to the depth below ground
Level of development
- The development of a country affects the amount of technology available
- Energy production can rely on high levels of technology and highly skilled staff which may not be available in developing countries including:
- Nuclear power and geothermal energy
Politics
- The decisions made by governments about which energy sources to invest in
- In France there has been significant investment in nuclear energy
- Conflict can affect energy production and transfer
- The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has impacted on oil and gas supply from Russia to Europe