Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia has used natural gas as a weapon against Ukraine and Europe as a whole. Threatening to turn shut off the pipes as the weather turns cold is a pretty effective way to influence foreign policy. But now it looks like one of Vladimir Putin’s key weapons is losing some its punch.
This week on War College, we’re looking at how shifts in the production of oil and natural gas are affecting global security, and where that leaves the United States.
Thanks to the once high price of oil, advancements in hydraulic fracturing technology and the discovery of liquid natural gas deposits, America is closer to energy independence than at any other time in its recent history. According to energy expert Agnia Grigas, the United States is set to become the world’s largest energy exporter within the next decade.
But there’s a high cost to cheap energy. The natural gas boom lowering prices at the pump destabilizes countries that rely on oil profits. Venezuela, the Middle East and Russia are all feeling the squeeze of changing oil markets.
Today on War College, Grigas walks us through the fascinating world of energy and how cheap gas drives conflict.
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