Energy Superpower

The term energy superpower has several potential definitions that might be used relating to different contexts. In recent years, however, it has come to be used to refer to a nation that supplies large amounts of energy resources (oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, etc) to a significant number of other states, and which therefore has the potential to influence world markets to gain a political or economic advantage. This might be exercised, for example, by significantly influencing the price on global markets, or by withholding supplies. The status of "energy superpower" should not be confused with that of "superpower", as the nature of an energy superpower is defined very differently due to the non-military nature of an energy superpower's power base. Energy superpowers project greater power than would be otherwise possible due to their lock on the exportable energy markets, and are becoming increasingly valuable to the global economy. In the global commodities' boom of recent years many of these states have benefited massively from increased production and prices.... Mehr