Tackling Energy Challenges

The Energy Mix New Challenges

About

The site focuses on the technical and economic aspects of the recent energy crisis. While it does not aim to analyze international geopolitical upheavals and balances, it does provide useful data. It is based on personal or co-authored articles written between 2017 and 2024, including pieces in the daily press, publications, media interviews and conferences.

Book Presentation - April 7, 2025, at 7 pm
in Thessaloniki
CAUSE AND EFFECT - ECONOMIC TRANSITION AND EFFECTS ON THE ENERGY MIX
by Yannis Bassias.

After Athens and Kozani (Western Macedonia) in May and June 2024, the presentation continue next week in Thessaloniki, in the hall of the bookstore Konstantinidis - Book and Style, in collaboration with Eurasia Publications.

Cables, pipelines and electricity

Public attention has shifted recently to electricity cables and Turkey’s violations in the Dodecanese, pushing hydrocarbon exploration and the completion of marine spatial planning to the background.

Geopolitical developments - Cables, pipelines and electricity

Greece must ensure the continuation of the GIS electrical interconnection project, which is one-third funded by the EU, while also safeguarding its sovereign rights in its territorial waters.

Electric interconnections-The backdrop of the energy situation

In the middle of the GIS interconnector crisis the EU has increased its reliance on American LNG, and at the same time has raised imports of Russian LNG.

Arctic partnerships and energy upheavals

The US's interest in rare earth elements and Russia's focus on developing the Arctic economy and shipping provide a potential framework for the two countries to coexist on the planet. From the US perspective, achieving peace in the broader European area appears to be rooted in a dual export model: peace and the arms industry in light of China’s influence.

Arctic collaborations and energy shifts

U.S.-Russian delegations in Riyadh identified areas of cooperation in the Arctic, which is believed to have 13 percent of uncertified oil globally and 30 percent of untapped natural gas reserves. In addition, the United States and Russia are interested in accelerating exploration and extraction of critical raw materials such as copper, cobalt and rare earths in the Arctic.

American oil giants in Greece

Chevron's interest, alongside ExxonMobil's existing operations in Greece, underscores the country's potential in the global energy market. On the other hand the greek initiative prioritizes environmental considerations, including the release of licensed exploration areas in the Ionian Sea to form a continuous National Marine Park.

What changes in the fuels market

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed to the then US presidential candidate Donald Trump in early November to replace the Russian gas with US LNG.

US-Russia are handing out much more than Ukraine

The U.S.-Russian discussions cover a wide range of topics including the potential lifting of sanctions on Russian exports, attacks by both Ukrainian and Russian forces on pipeline infrastructure, the future of Nord Stream, the challenges of increasing LNG exports to the EU, Ukrainian metal exports, and on top the Arctic cooperation.

Top analysis of the energy chessboard-US-Russia-EU energy poker. The case of Greece

In 2025, as transit through Ukraine is expected to stop, more U.S. LNG will come to Europe. However, in 2024, European imports of Russian LNG continued their upward trend.

Energy shifts lead Chevron to Greece

Chevron's interest in Kyparissiakos was driven by three key factors: the U.S. presidential inauguration, new sanctions imposed on Russian hydrocarbon exports, and the drone attack on Turkstream's facilities in Russia.

The revival of nuclear energy and the second chance for Greece

What are the economic, technological, environmental, and geopolitical factors fueling the renewed global interest in nuclear energy? Should the country seize this second chance in the nuclear field to address the challenges of the new era?

Drilling Boom in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania, While Greece Lags Behind

It's surprising to see the extensive exploration, extraction, and exploitation of natural gas and oil around Greece, especially when compared to Greece's inactivity in this sector.

Why Batteries and Nuclear Matter in the Future Energy Landscape

The needs of the 'developing' world (6.5 billion people versus 1.5 billion in the 'developed' world, with about 30% of the global population lacking access to electricity) can be unpredictable.

Cause and Effect: Economic Transition and Implications for the Energy Mix

Starting with Saint-Exupéry’s quote, “A goal without a plan is just a wish,” the book addresses the public debate and political discourse that has long promoted a “green energy transition”.

Tracing the Challenges of the Energy Transition

The high cost of achieving the current energy transformation, along with the corresponding economic and social impacts, is the cause of increasing disputes, particularly in the Western world.

Unpacking the Energy Transition – Economic and Geopolitical Dimensions

The term “energy transition” reflects only a subset of the broader global economic upheavals. The transition is fundamentally economic, with direct effects on the energy mix, the food systems, and the geopolitical/military dynamics.

Correcting Electricity-Production Gap with High-Density Energy Sources

The security and resilience of an electricity system largely depend on its ability to match production with demand under all conditions. The widespread adoption of renewable energy sources complicates this balance due to the lack of large-scale storage capacity of electricity.

How Greece will become an energy hub

Analysis of energy developments – The transition is primarily economic

What does 600 bcm natural gas mean in Crete

Articles

Personal or coauthored articles written between 2017 and 2024 in the daily press, special publications, online media specialized in energy,

Media and Presentations

Conference Presentations and Interviews

Books

Author or co-author

Since 2000, and especially between 2011 and 2022, the economic transition has followed a trajectory that peaked during the periode 2019-2022. This period was marked by pandemics, wars, and reciprocal sanctions, which defined the boundaries of major economic blocs. These initial boundaries have highlighted the grievances of developing countries, the growing influence of Middle Eastern oil producers and China, and the evolution of the BRICS, which appears poised to expand its membership.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Since 2022, the world is navigating the equilibrium phase of a new economic transition model. This global economic shift is influencing the energy mix, food systems, and geopolitical/military dynamics.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Multinational corporations and cross-border organizations are currently challenging the Westphalian order established in Europe in the 17th century after the Thirty Years’ War and extended globally after World War II. This challenge is driven by several factors: the aging populations in developed countries and China compared to the youthful populations in Africa and South Asia, the slowdown in global economic growth, the shift of industrial production to Asia, and the accelerated technological progress that fuels new activities but disrupts existing economies.
From the Book Cause and Effect (in greek, edition in english in 2025)
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Additionally, the rise of religious and nationalist movements and the idealistic orientation of many environmental movements, particularly regarding industrial pollution, highlight the inability of governments to manage or adapt to changes in an increasingly open world. As a result, we are heading towards increasing tensions among major states as they seek to expand or defend their spheres of influence.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

The term “energy transition” reflects only a subset of the broader global economic upheavals. This transition is fundamentally economic, directly impacting the energy mix based on the economic conditions affecting each part of the energy cost chain, from extraction to delivery to the final consumer. This phenomenon is not new; for millennia, renewable energy sources such as the sun, water, wind, and wood have been the primary energy sources
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Historically, the configuration of the energy mix has followed the principle of high usage of the preceding energy source to establish the next one. For instance, wood consumption supported the development of coal as a fuel, which took about a century to supply 25% of the world’s energy consumption. Similarly, during the transition from coal to oil, coal consumption increased for metallurgy, oil infrastructure construction, and chemical processing of oil. It took oil around forty years to cover 25% of the world’s energy consumption.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

This pattern is somewhat repeated with oil versus gas and more recently with hydrocarbons supporting the intermittent contribution of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines to the electricity grid globally. Notably, wind and solar power have yet to achieve a 5% share in the global energy mix.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

The introduction of renewables was intended, among other things, to support commercial and economic objectives, with carbon dioxide emissions being the main argument for the claimed energy transition to renewables for at least twenty years. However, the current geographical dispersion of infrastructure, the proliferation of renewable installations and the absence of large-scale storage of electricity do not guarantee an economic distribution of electricity and cause additional CO2 emissions.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

This is one of the main challenges for the current renewable energy industry. If massive, economically viable electricity storage solutions with minimal environmental impact are developed within the next decade, the growth of today’s conventional renewable energy sources could continue.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Ultimately, the future of energy will hinge on the pace of development and societal acceptance of nuclear fission and, eventually, nuclear fusion. In the meantime, oil and gas will continue to be used as long as people can afford to buy refined products and hydrocarbon derivatives at prices that enable producers to continue production.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

Greece, as part of the European framework, remains focused on tourism and transit, aspiring to become a key EU service provider for electricity transmission from renewable energy sources (RES) and gas from the South-Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Only recently has the country recognized its strategic geographical position as the westernmost end of the Eastern Mediterranean and the easternmost of the Western Mediterranean.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα

A hesitant approach to energy independence, coupled with previously overlooked potential domestic oil and gas deposits, and a fervent commitment to combating climate change, have driven the significant growth of photovoltaic and wind installations. These installations, however, were primarily imported from Northern Europe and now from China. The rapid phase-out of lignite, without considering innovative carbon capture and utilization solutions as seen in other countries, has shaped Greece’s national energy management over the past decade.
From the Book Cause and Effect
(2024 in greek, edition in english mid-2025)
Αίτιο και Αιτιατό: Οικονομική Μετάβαση και Επιπτώσεις στο Ενεργειακό Μείγμα