Access to Energy (Edexcel GCSE Geography B): Revision Note

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

Global Patterns of Energy Use

• Global energy demand has rapidly increased. 

• Population growth and development are the two main causes of the increase in energy demand:

  • The higher demand for food leads to more intensive farming which requires more energy for machines, light and heat

  • Increasing industry requires energy for heating, lighting and machinery

  • There is more transport all of which requires energy in the form of petrol, diesel or electricity

  • Urbanisation increases with the development increasing domestic appliances, heating, lighting

  • Increased wealth means people buy more appliances and technology which require energy

• Countries with the highest energy consumption per person tend to be developed countries and include Canada, Norway and Saudi Arabia

  • USA has 4.25% of the world's population but uses 16% of the world's energy

• Countries with the lowest energy consumption per person are developing countries which are all in Africa and include Niger, Chad and Tanzania

Demand from economic sectors

• Developing (LIC) economies are focussed on primary economic activities such as agriculture, these do not have a high energy demand

• Emerging (NEE) countries such as India and China are focussed on secondary economic activities and the high levels of manufacturing use lots of energy

• Developed (HIC) countries are seeing a leveling off in demand for energy as manufacturing is reduced because increasing numbers of goods are imported

• The main energy sources are fossil fuels which supply 84% of the world's primary energy

• Renewables are increasing but only make up 11% of the energy mix

• Nuclear energy is 4% of the primary energy

Reliance on traditional fuel sources

• Approximately 2.4 billion people still rely in someway on traditional fuel sources for cooking and heating

• An estimated 920 million people have no access to electricity at all - about 13% of the world's population