Energy security A-Level Geography: Edexcel Topic 6 explained

Short answer: the energy security A-Level Geography topic (Edexcel Topic 6) asks whether a country can get the energy it needs, reliably and at a price it can afford. The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines it as "uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price" [4]. Learn the energy mix, the four players, the UK case and the renewable trade-offs.

Energy security A-Level Geography: what Edexcel asks

Topic 6 is The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security. It is examined in Section C of Paper 1, alongside Topic 5 on the water cycle [1]. Its second enquiry question asks what our rising demand for energy means for people and the environment [1].

The specification, the board's official list of content, covers three key ideas here [1]:

• 6.4: energy security is a key goal for countries, and most still rely on fossil fuels. You need consumption, energy mix and the energy players.
• 6.5: fossil fuels still drive development. You need energy pathways and unconventional fossil fuels such as tar sands and shale gas.
• 6.6: alternatives exist, but each has costs and benefits. The changing UK energy mix is a named example.

A note on definitions. Many textbooks teach "four As": availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability. That framework is linked to a 2007 report by the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) [5]. The Edexcel specification does not use it. Instead, it lists what shapes access to energy: physical availability, cost, technology, public perception, level of economic development and environmental priorities [1]. Use either, but define your terms. In 2022, examiners noted that many students were unsure what energy security meant [3].

Energy mix: get the definition right

A country's energy mix is the share of each source in the energy it uses. The specification asks you to compare domestic and foreign sources, primary and secondary energy, and renewable and non-renewable sources [1].

Primary energy is energy in its raw form, such as crude oil, gas or wind. Secondary energy is made from it. Electricity is the main example. This difference matters in the exam. In June 2022, examiners warned that students confused a country's total energy mix with how it generates electricity [3].

The UK shows why. In 2025, renewables produced 52.1% of UK electricity [7]. But low-carbon sources (renewables and nuclear) were only 22.0% of the UK's primary energy [6]. Transport, heating and industry still rely heavily on oil and gas. That is why fossil fuels were still 75.1% of UK primary energy [6].

The energy players

Players are the people and organisations whose decisions shape an outcome. The specification names four in energy [1]:

OPEC stands for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Its members exported an average of 19.85 million barrels of crude oil a day in 2025 [8].

The UK case: what DUKES 2026 shows

The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) is the government's yearly energy record. It is published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The 2026 edition, published in July 2026, covers 2025 [6][7]:

• Import dependency: net imports were 43.3% of the UK's primary energy supply, down from 43.7% in 2024.
• Who supplies it: over 90% of imports are oil and gas, and Norway is the main supplier.
• Why: UK oil and gas output is 75% below its 1999 peak, as the North Sea basin declines.
• Fossil fuel dependency: 75.1% of primary energy, broadly unchanged on 2024.
• Electricity: renewables 52.1%, wind 29.5%, solar 6.9%, gas 31.8% and nuclear 12.2% of generation.

So the UK is fairly secure in one sense: its main supplier is a close, stable neighbour. But it is exposed in another. Gas prices are set in international markets, so a crisis far away still raises UK bills.

The trade-offs of the renewable transition

Renewables cannot be cut off by another country, so they reduce import dependence. But they bring three new risks.

Intermittency. Wind and solar output depends on the weather, not on demand. A cold, still evening can bring high demand and low output. That is why gas still produced 31.8% of UK electricity in 2025 [7]. It is the flexible back-up.

Storage. Batteries can shift power by hours, not by weeks. So a high-renewable system still needs firm power, such as nuclear or gas, plus interconnectors to other countries. In 2025, the UK's net electricity imports were 29.7 TWh (terawatt hours), mostly from France [7].

Critical minerals. Turbines, panels, batteries and grids need minerals such as lithium, copper, graphite and rare earths. The IEA reports that the top refining country's average share of key energy minerals rose to 72% in 2025, excluding rare earths [9]. China introduced export controls on rare earths in April 2025, and some carmakers had to cut production [10]. So the transition can swap one dependency for another.

A worked 20-mark paragraph

On Paper 1, 20-mark essays give 5 marks to knowledge (AO1) and 15 to application (AO2) [2]. So most marks come from using evidence to reach a judgement. Practice question, in our own words: Evaluate the view that national governments are the most important players in achieving energy security.

Notice the structure. The point answers the question. The evidence is dated and located. The chain uses "because" and "so". The paragraph ends with a judgement that says when the view is true and when it is not.