This week we speak with Sam Raszewski, a senior lecturer and Programme Director for the Oil and Gas Management program at the University of East London Royal Docks Business School. Sam has published widely on energy security and particularly about security in the European gas sector. He regularly appears on a range of international media outlets and this week we are fortunate enough to have him on our podcast.
The interview took place in early April before Russia cut off the flow of gas to Poland and Bulgaria. Nonetheless, in the intervening weeks, we can see that Sam’s analysis still holds water and is even more spot-on, as the European Union and the countries in the EU, are rapidly shifting away from Russian oil and gas.
An important takeaway Sam arrives at is the role of nuclear power. What is clear, and is reflected throughout our discussion is the economic necessity of rebuilding a more robust energy system that is less dependent on imports into Europe.
The interview is valuable both in how Sam frames energy security but also in how to fix the current security of supply failures that are dominating and restricting Europe’s energy market.
Dr. Michael LaBelle is an associate professor at Central European University in the Department of Environmental Sciences. He produces the My Energy 2050 podcast to change how we communicate and improve the energy transition.