THE GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY TRANSITION: THE IMPACT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ON THE GLOBAL BALANCE OF POWER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48371/ISMO.2025.59.1.005Keywords:
renewable energy, energy transition, geopolitics, energy security, critical resources, technical development, decarbonization, energy independenceAbstract
The energy transition has been identified as a contributing factor to the transformation of the global energy order, leading to a reduction in dependence on traditional hydrocarbon sources and the promotion of decentralization of energy supply. These processes have been shown to enhance the energy security of individual states. However, concurrently, they have also been shown to intensify competition for critical resources, technological leadership, and control over strategic supply chains, thereby creating new vectors of geopolitical tension.
Key aspects discussed in this article include the redistribution of global influence, advanced renewable energy technology pertaining states, and strategic challenges for traditional hydrocarbon exporters. We analyze the mechanisms of adaptation of various countries to these new realities, the new energy dependencies being created, and the possible long-term geopolitical consequences. Still, since the development of RES continues and at any rate is not yet finished or perfect in many aspects of these processes the results are still difficult to predict concretely.
The conclusions emphasize the heterogeneous impact of the energy transition on different states: countries with a technological advantage gain additional leverage over the global energy sector, while hydrocarbon exporters face the need to revise their economic models. In this context, the energy transition is not an unambiguous factor in reducing geopolitical tensions, but rather changes its nature, creating both new challenges and opportunities for international cooperation and adaptive strategies.
The paper will address these questions, therefore, in the context of energy transition, as not always an outright force for lowering the tension level but rather switching its form peculiarly into both general new challenges and opportunities for international cooperation.