LONDON, June 16 (UPI) -- Geopolitical issues have exposed Europe's energy vulnerability though diversification and efficiency can help, ministers said.
Russian gas company Gazprom cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine in 2009. That left Europeans in the cold for weeks as much of their gas from Russia is transported through pipelines in Ukraine. The disruption sparked a race to build transit networks that avoid Ukraine.
David Howell, British minister at the Department for Energy and Climate Change, said natural gas in his country "will become increasingly dominant over the years to come."
He added that with energy consumption expected to double in the next 25 years, getting the energy mix right was vital for economic growth and development.
Croatian Defense Minister Davor Bozinovic said at a NATO conference that energy security is a vital concern for the European community.
"The importance of energy from a political, economic, social and environmental perspective can no longer be underestimated in security circles," he said in a statement.
U.S. military leaders expressed similar links to energy and national security. The U.S. Defense Department in its Operational Energy Strategy said that to sustain dominance in the 21st century, warfighters must use resources, including energy, efficiently.
