Deciding the Future: Energy Policy Scenarios to 2050

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Deciding the Future: Energy Policy Scenarios to 2050 World Energy Council 2007 The 3 A’s
In North America Acceptability is a large issue, particularly in the
areas of large future energy developments (unconventional and
enhanced oil development, new nuclear power plants, development of
frontier lands (oil, natural gas, and hydropower). The challenge is to
implement more effective public information and education
programmes, as well as more effective approval and regulatory
processes to ensure reliable and timely improvements in energy
infrastructure.
Environmental questions of a local nature, such
as those related to hydroelectric generation or
monocultures as energy sources, are common
in the majority of the region’s countries.
Questions of a global nature, particularly
emissions from burning fossil fuels, are common
to all countries, all of which must introduce
measures to reduce such global impacts.
2.2.5. North America
The North America region rates itself as above
the middle with regard to its current state of
achieving the 3 A’s and still has to make some
progress. In the context of the 3 A’s, the
dominant one for North America is Acceptability.
The challenge for both Availability and
Acceptability is to implement more effective
public information and education programmes,
as well as more effective approval and
regulatory processes to ensure reliable and
timely improvements in energy infrastructure.
Accessibility
For North America, access to abundant energy
resources, combined with its successful
development and utilisation, has contributed to
its overall economic development and
prosperity. In all three countries (Canada,
Mexico, and the United States of America),
extensive energy resources, with appropriate
stewardship and management, will continue to
contribute to economic prosperity of the region
for the next half-century. This is particularly true
in the United States and Canada; in Mexico,
however, there is greater concern. Some 5% of
the Mexican population has no access to
electricity. In addition, in a few isolated
communities in Canada and the United States,
access is an issue either because of isolation or
because of cost.
Availability
In North America, there are two issues with
respect to security of energy supply. The first is
related to the high degree of dependence on
imported oil from other regions of the world,
which is perceived to be unreliable. This is a
problem especially for the United States,
because it imports 50% of its oil. The second
issue is the combination of reliability and
vulnerability of existing energy systems to
maintain a reliable supply - because of supply–
demand tightness and vulnerability to extreme
climatic (e.g., hurricanes) and terrorist attacks.
Although 95% of the Mexican population has
access to electricity, this supply is unreliable and
the present level of reliability is only on the order
of 15% that of the rest of North America.
Lastly, there is a related issue in all three North
American countries arising from challenges in
the approval of energy plants and infrastructure.
Local opposition, referred to as the NIMBY (Not
In My Back Yard) phenomenon, is increasing.
Demand has continued to grow, while supply
has not kept pace, which results in situations
where the supply–demand balance has become
very tight, with consequent increase in
vulnerability to supply interruptions. Supply
being curtailed or voltage being reduced (for
electricity systems) is increasingly being
implemented to maintain supply. In addition,