Technological revolution in the US energy sector, understanding the implications for the US dependency on fossil energy imports
| Author | Mohammad Mourdghaffari,Rahmat Hajimineh,Hasan Shafiei,Hussein Daheshiar |
| Published date | 01 December 2020 |
| Date | 01 December 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/opec.12191 |
Technological revolution in the US energy
sector, understanding the implications for
the US dependency on fossil energy imports
Mohammad Mourdghaffari*, Hussein Daheshiar**, Rahmat Hajimineh***
and Hasan Shafiei****
*PhD graduate, Department of International Relations, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Tehran, IR Iran. Email: mohammadghafari@hotmail.com
**Full Professor, Department of International Relations, Allameh Tabataba’ei University, Tehran, IR Iran.
Email: h_daheshiar@yahoo.com
***Assistant professor, Department of Communication and Social Science, East Tehran Branch, Islamic
Azad University, Tehran, IR Iran. Email: r.hajimineh@gmail.com
****Professor, Department of International Relations, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Tehran, IR Iran. Email: Dr.Shafiee2011@yahoo.com
Abstract
During various periods, the United States (the US) has adopted diverse policies for achieving self-
sufficiency in supplying its required energy. Technological revolution that has begun from a
decade ago pursues the goal of energy independency. Using new technologies for developing its
unconventional oil and gas resources, the United States has taken steps in line with the
accomplishment of its objective of energy independence. Numerous articles have examined the
various technical, economic and political aspects and consequences of the US technological
revolution. This paper, in a new and innovative approach based on theoretical framework of
neorealism, aims to show the implications of technological revolution in energy sector on the US
dependency on fossil energy imports. Efforts will be made to find an answer to this main question
as to what effects have the technological revolution occurrence in energy sector had on the US
dependency on the fossil energy imports? In response, the study’s main hypothesis is that, the US
policy to exploit the unconventional oil and gas resources through technological revolution can be
elaborated within the framework of the self-sufficiency strategy for energy production in line with
the reduction of the threats stemming from dependency on the oil and gas imports.
1. Introduction
Countries’perceptions of energy security depends on various factors, including their
geographical positions, available resources, development levels and governmental
systems. To some countries such as the United States, energy security means production
of more energy internally and reducing reliance on the foreign resources. Within the
©2020 The Authors. OPEC Energy Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street,
Malden, MA 02148, USA.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution
and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
486
framework of the US energy security strategy, this country’s dependency on oil imported
from outside, particularly from Middle East, has made it face a group of political,
security and economic threats. Technological revolution in the United States began from
about a decade ago in this country, and it chases one essential goal and that is the US
achievement of independence in the area of supplying its required energy (APEC, 2019).
What makes energy security so sensitive to the United States is its global dependence
on oil and gas resources, at least for the foreseeable future. The United States is one of
the world’s largest energy producers, ranking first in the world in terms of energy
consumption. In terms of fossil fuels, the United States is one of the largest consumers
and importers of oil in the world. Despite the increase in oil and gas production in the
last decade, the country’s fossil fuel consumption is much higher than its domestic
production, a major share of which is crude oil and petroleum products such as gasoline
(EIA, 2019a2019b). This has raised major concerns for the country’s leaders, especially
as much of the world’s oil is located in areas such as the Middle East. To reduce this
dependence, policies such as diversification of energy sources and replacement of other
energy sources are on the agenda of this country. In addition, implementing the strategy
of the US domination of world energy and its control over world oil supply, prices and
oil trade lines one of the most important goals of the United States to reduce its
dependence on fossil energy imports (Salimi and Rahmatipour, 2014).
Within the framework of the offensive neorealism theory, states are living in a world
which is full of threats and units tending to maximise their power so as to be able to keep
on surviving. The main goal of every government or state is maximisation of its quotient
of the global power and this means acquisition of power against the others
(Mearsheimer, 2001). The US attempts to use the technological revolution as a tool to
maximising power and reduce dependence has not yet been analysed under the
framework of neorealism theory in academic papers and researches. The present study
aims at elucidation of the role and effect of the technological revolution in energy sector
and on the US dependency on fossil energy imports and its outcomes for the US change
of its approach towards the international policy; efforts will be also made for finding an
answer to the question as to what effects has the technological evolution in energy sector
had on the US dependency on the imports of fossil energy from outside?
As a secondary question, as well, in this article, the reasons and motivations of the
evolution in the US energy industry during the past two decades and the US foreign
policy and behaviour will be focused on within the framework of the offensive
neorealism theory considering the reductions of the oil and gas imports during the past
decade.
In an answer to the main question, the present study basically hypothesises that the
reduction in the US dependency on oil and gas imports and the lower vulnerability to the
changes of the global energy market, including the evolutions in the world’s oil-prone
©2020 The Authors. OPEC Energy Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
on behalf of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
OPEC Energy Review December 2020
Technological Revolution in the U.S Energy,Implications on Imports 487
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