Market Data 
At last week’s International Summit on the Future of Energy Security, the leaders of the United Kingdom and the European Union emphasized two goals: to expand the deployment of “homegrown” low-carbon energies, and to reduce dependence on foreign energy. They welcomed energy interdependence within Europe—among allies—but not with Russia, which has weaponized energy as geopolitical leverage.
Reducing foreign energy dependence is a reasonable aim. A country that imports 90% of its energy is more exposed to international supply shocks than one that imports only 20%. But excluding foreign energy altogether from a national energy security strategy is shortsighted. Imports provide flexibility when domestic energy systems fail. Supply shocks, like price volatility, can also be homegrown.
Resilience, rather than independence, is fundamental to energy security. Countries that can respond to shocks and recover quickly fare better. Energy imports contribute to resilience by allowing countries to shift between energy sources and, in general, cope with emergencies more effectively.
Imports Help Stabilize Energy Systems
Recent energy crises in Japan, Germany, and Texas show how imports make a difference for energy security.
1. Japan Resorted To Fossil Fuel Imports After a Nuclear Shutdown
Japan faced an energy shock in 2011 after a powerful 9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The event triggered a nationwide shutdown of nuclear generation, resulting in the loss of 30% of the country’s electricity supply.
As Japan gradually took offline 54 nuclear reactors over the following months, it increased imports of liquefied natural gas, oil, and coal to ramp up thermal power generation. The country quickly became the world’s largest buyer of LNG, increasing its purchases by 25%. Within a year, the share of fossil fuels in the electricity mix rose from 60% to 90%.
Electricity prices climbed and the trade deficit widened, but Japan avoided blackouts. Years of investment in import terminals, port infrastructure, and diversified trade relations made Japan’s energy system resilient.
2. Germany Replaced Russian Natural Gas Through Diversification
Before 2022, Germany relied on Russia for 65% of its natural gas and served as a transit corridor for Russian gas to several Eastern European countries. This model collapsed after Russia invaded Ukraine and shut down the Nord Stream and Yamal pipelines.
Germany responded by boosting pipeline imports from Norway and the Netherlands, building floating LNG terminals in record time, and securing supply contracts with the United States, Qatar, and other countries. The German government also implemented measures such as mandatory storage requirements and energy-saving campaigns to reduce demand.
Like Japan, Germany relied on global energy markets to compensate for the loss of Russian gas. While the crisis exposed its overreliance, Germany’s ability to shift supply routes and turn to diversified imports proved essential to its resilience.
3. Texas Paid the Price of Isolation
Texas also faced a disruption triggered by natural forces. In 2021, Winter Storm Uri brought extreme cold that froze gas wells, pipelines, coal piles, and some wind turbines. As electricity and heating demand surged, generation capacity collapsed.
Texas couldn’t import power to close the gap because its grid operates largely in isolation from the rest of the United States. This independence left Texas without access to neighboring electricity markets. ERCOT, the grid operator, had no choice but to order rolling blackouts to prevent total grid collapse. More than 4 million Texans lost electricity. Water and gas services failed too, since pumping systems relied on electric power.
Texas lacked the infrastructure, legal framework, and policy flexibility to import electricity. Too much emphasis on autonomy over integration, and too little regulation to “winterize” its energy infrastructure, left it exposed when the storm hit. Its energy system was independent, but not resilient, during the most severe phase of the winter storm.
Import Diversification Builds Resilience
Whether energy trade strengthens or weakens security depends on how it is managed. Overreliance on a single or limited number of suppliers, trade routes, energy sources, or technologies creates systemic risk. Japan depended too heavily on domestic nuclear energy. Germany leaned too much on Russian natural gas. Texas remained too isolated from external markets. Japan and Germany, however, used trade to contain their energy crises. Texas lacked that option by design, and paid the price.
Imports aren’t the problem for the future of energy security. A well-designed energy trade strategy spreads risk and creates options, balancing “homegrown” and foreign energy supply.
