Sarah's PhD research is based on the hypothesis that the electricity industries of Europe and Russia are becoming increasingly influenced by concerns over energy security.
In political discourse we often hear references to the term 'energy security' whenever energy policy is being discussed. Usually when politicians discuss energy security they are referring to the supply of oil or gas, which in addition to coal makes up the essential fuel 'trinity' of our current energy system. Yet it is often forgotten that these fuels are utilised primarily for the generation of electricity. It is electricity and not oil, coal or gas which powers the majority of the systems that enable our modern world to function; computers, technology and industrial equipment all operate on electrical power. For too long, research on electric power systems has been neglected in the field of public policy and security in favour of oil, gas and nuclear energy. This thesis aims to reverse this trend.
A key element of the research will focus on understanding and explaining the term 'energy security.' Therefore it will also ask ''how is electricity perceived through the concept of energy security from both a Russian and European perspective?' and 'how could such changes impact future developments in energy security discourse? To answer these questions, electricity must be re-introduced to the concept of energy security through a framework of analysis based on constructivist theory. This framework will demonstrate how the concept of energy security can be deconstructed and transformed by allowing for a more inclusive multi-perspective approach to energy policy in the European Union and Russia respectively.
The European Union
The European element of this research will focus on the trends occurring in at the supranational level of European Union politics; namely on the transference of decision-making powers from a national to a supranational level. The thesis aims to investigate how the move towards a single European electricity entity (ENTSOE) will impact European electricity industries and EU - Russian energy relations.
Russia
Russia possesses large quantities of natural resources and is Europe's largest supplier of oil and gas, yet little research has been conducted into Russia's electricity industry - the largest electricity network in the world. In recent years, the Russian electricity industry underwent an ambitious restructuring and privatisation program similar to that which occurred previously in western European states. In this process of privatisation, Russian electricity markets have begun to be 'opened up' to European investment which has created possibilities for greater Russian-European electricity cooperation and electricity trading. This research will focus on the privatisation and restructuring of the Russian electricity industry in order to ascertain the success and outcomes of this policy and how such changes can be measured in terms of energy security.