Energy in Arcerion
Arcerion has considerable sources of oil and natural gas in the Northern portions of the Albion Sea and is ranked as one of the largest net exporters of natural gas and crude oil in the 21st Century, and is in the top three in Crona. Arcerion is energy self-sufficient based on its reserves of crude oil, natural gas, and coal mined from the Aileach Mountain Range. With gas resources expected to decline in usage as well as available stock, the Confederate Parliament has sought to invest in renewable and long-term energy investments such as nuclear energy. Arcerion has been traditionally dominated in the energy sector by coal-fired powerplants due to the abundance of coal in the Aileach Mountains. However it still remains as one of the main components for fueling the energy production centers for the Arcer Power Grid. Coal amounts to 52% of energy and electricity production in Arcerion, followed by nuclear at 24% and natural gas at 19%. Solar, wind and renewable/'green' energy sources make up the remaining 5% of Arcerion's electricity production.
The Arcer government is expected by 2030 to publish a Memo on Energy Policy to better align with modern trends for green energy sources as a means for combatting climate change. While the Arcer government has not outright stated it will become independent of fossil fuels, it has stated that it intends to increase the amount of non-coal power plants by at least three by 2030, including the construction of a new pair of nuclear reactors in Easthampton and Presdale.
Arcerion's power grid is connected via large hydro towers and transmission lines to several other Cronan countries. It is considered to have the best energy security in Crona as of 2020, and provided the vast majority of the electricity for Washakara, the New Archduchy, and Telokona.
History
Statistics
During the Occidental Cold War and the 20th century, Arcerion's energy consumption almost entirely came from coal-fired power plants. With the discovery in 1977 of vast reserves of natural gas and oil in the Albion Sea, Arcerion announced exploration and drilling operations, expanding its de facto exclusive economic zone in Howland Governorate by dozens of kilometers and increasing its naval presence to defend Arcer liquid gas interests. By 2000, natural gas and oil imports to Arcerion, in addition to new technologies in the coal industry and advanced deep-mining operations in Moorden resulted in Arcerion becoming energy self-sufficient.
After 2000, there was a significant shift towards the modern status quo for energy. The oil and gas boom of the 1980s and 1990s had given a much needed economic increase to Arcerion's GDP, however the Confederate Parliament forecasted that they would require a significant amount more for future energy usage and a post-industrial society. With the first nuclear plant being completed in 1986, there had been no new efforts to create similar types of energy producing facilities due to the availability and relatively low cost of coal as Arcerion was a net exporter. However Arcerion created two new reactors in 2013 (Easthampton) and 2019 (Dunborough) to augment the existing facility in Dalfearn. Utilizing major rivers in Arcerion, they were able to look to create a more resilient national energy strategy now that coal was in decline.
As the government looked to the future, it create two large wind farms, utilizing windmills to generate electricity in Foxhey, which was dislocated from the Arco power Grid, and Presdale, which was remote when compared to the rest of the Arcer population. As well, the expected direction from the 2030 Memo on Energy Policy is likely to include provisions for Hydroelectric power, focusing on building hydroelectric dams in Easthampton and the Northumbraeland Mountains. Northlea Governorate was approached with a similar strategy in the 1990s, but the idea was shelved due to concerns about creating man-made lakes and destroying/displacing Arcer farmers in the Arcer Heartland due to its Lowland terrain.
Energy Sources
Coal
Coal is the largest producer of energy in Arcerion and one of its largest exports, with customers and Arcer mining companies spread across the globe. Arcer mining interests are as old as the colony itself, with the majority of industrial-scale mining beginning with the establishment of Easthampton, Moorden governorate in 1834. Easthampton would quickly grow to become a large mining town, mainly centered around the mining operations in the Aileach Mountain ranges. This industrial scale mining is well represented within the Arcer energy infrastructure, with six separate coal power plants in mainland Arcerion under the jurisdiction of the federal government. There is also a significant number of smaller powerplants administered and controlled by the individual governorates and municipalities of Arcerion. Coal has been on a steady decline in the Arcerion energy sphere since the discovery of the Albion Sea Gas Fields in 1977. During the oil and gas boom of the 1980s and 1990s coal dropped over a quarter (28%) in the Arcer energy sector, and jobs declined as well due to a migration to Howland governorate of technically skilled specialists and their families to pursue gas field employment for higher pay. However coal has remained resilient due to its large share of exports in Arcerion, and in conjunction with the Arco National Railway Service, which brings coal to importers in Southwest and Southeast Crona along the Western line as far as Alstin's Betlands, and as far North as the Mid-Atrassic States controlled by Kiravia.
Oil
The extraction and refinement of crude oil in Arcerion is one of the largest industries for natural resource exploitation and also one of the most quickly growing. Along with natural gas, it accounts for a sizeable portion of the Arcer economy, and provides annually tens of thousands of direct production and processing jobs, as well as hundreds of thousands of ancillary or second-order jobs such as shipping, refining, sales, and logistical support. Crude oil in Arcerion accounts for relatively little of the national energy usage from a national power perspective, however refining facilities in Howland Governorate assist the Arcer petroleum industry in the mass production of oil-related goods. Arcerion maintains a national oil reserve, split equally between Howland Governorate and Chester-on-Moore, both of which contribute to the nation's energy security and national energy resilience strategies.
Natural Gas
Natural gas represents the single largest industry outside of continental Arcerion. While traditional economic industries such as agriculture and mining have provided a large percentage of Arcerion's GDP, natural gas is dual purpose, as it not only is a major export commodity for the Cronan nation, but it also represents a significant part of the energy sustainment for Howland Governorate. On Mainland Crona, Arcer natural gas provides much of the energy for Malentina, Porlos, and Istrenya, accompanied by Arcer coal imports. In Arcerion, natural gas has no major power plants, as coal is cheaper to mine, ship, and burn, but Arco natural gas is still used widely throughout Crona. Natural gas has maintained a steady portion of the Arcer energy infrastructure, at roughly 20%, but makes up a considerable amount of the exports.
Solar and Renewable
Solar and renewable energy represents the smallest but arguably the fastest growing sector of the Arcer energy infrastructure. Comprised of wind farms, limited geothermal power plants, and solar energy, there is a growing push to 'go green' as Arcerion continues to feel the effects of climate change with its annual wildfires. As a result, different governorates have strategies that are aimed to increase the amount of solar and renewable energy in Arcerion from 5% to 20% by 2035 at the latest, with optimistic projections set higher at 30% of all Arco energy production being sustainable, renewable, or natural forms of energy.
Electricity
Wind Power in Arcerion
Northlea and Foxhey Governorates are the two largest users of energy in Arcerion. For Northlea this is due to terrain, as the wide sweeping plains and low rolling hills of the Arcer Heartland do not allow for the effective implementation of hydroelectric dams, and the effect of coal burning plants can lead to damaged or polluted crops, making the Governorate's leadership hesitant to allow for the expansion of such facilities into the inner reaches of Arcerion. However, the nuclear plant located in Dalfearn provides the electricity for the vast majority of the Arcer Heartland, and with plans to construct an additional nuclear facility in Presdale by the end of 2030, energy security will be vastly improved for Arcer farmers and their families.
In Foxhey, the limited access to natural gas or nuclear power makes the Governorate entirely reliant on coal shipped in from Chester-on-Moore and other major Arcer export ports. However Foxhey's coal-fired power plant is supplemented by a maritime windfarm, off the coast of Port Gibson, the only one of its kind in Arcerion. Between the two, the island's population of nine million receives enough power, however the overhead and above-ground electricity pylons are prone to damage from tropical storms in the Malentine Sea, making their energy security the lowest in Arcerion.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric power, or the usage of natural waterways to generate electricity is the least used form of energy generation in Arcerion. A significant component of this is due to the lowland and below-sea-level terrain that makes up much of continental Arcerion. Additionally, political opposition from Northlea Governorate and its federal representatives have made the Confederate Parliament hesitant to invest in the technology, although limited plans for the Northumbraeland Mountain Hydroelectric Dam are being discussed with the government of the new Archduchy, as this will assist them in becoming less reliant on Arcer coal and natural gas imports.
Nuclear Power and Nuclear Energy in Arcerion
Currently there are three nuclear reactors in Arcerion, providing electricity to the Northwest, Arcer Heartland, and Moorden Governorate/Southeast. In the Northwest, the Dunborough Nuclear Power Plant (DNPP) provides the electricity for much of Norham Governorate and the Northern portions of Northlea, and has lines that also provide a majority of the electricity for Telekona and Eastern Kelekona. In central Arcerion, the Heartland Nuclear Power Station (HNPS) provides Arcer farmers and industrial agriculture facilities with almost all of their electricity, save for smaller solar or coal-fired generation plants. Lastly, the Moorden Nuclear Power Plant (MNPP) in Easthampton, the Eastern Aileach Mountains, supplies Southeastern Arcerion, most of the major mining and industrial manufacturing centers in this region, and also sells a large amount of its runoff power to Washakara.
Arcerion has additional plans for two more power plants, the McCallan River Nuclear Power Station (MRNPS) near Easthampton in Southeast Arcerion, as well as the Northlea Nuclear Power Plant adjacent to the city of Presdale, in Northern Arcerion.
Important Energy Producers
Arcerion is dominated by two powerful energy blocs, that are roughly equal in terms of their share of the Arcer GDP's energy sector. In Arcerion, the mining energy producers (ie. coal and natural resource mining) preresents 47% of the energy sector of Arcerion's GDP, whereas liquid natural gas (LNG) and petroleum extraction for crude oil makes up 53%. Of note, the industry accounts for $1.419 trillion, or 48% of the Arcer economy.
Production
Power Stations
Arcerion has thirteen major power stations, with an additional two (nuclear) stations planned to be finished by 2030. Of these, the most numerous are coal-fired power plants, the majority of which are located in Southern Arcerion due to the proximity to the nation's major coal and mining centers in Moorden Governorate. Nuclear power plants, of which there are three with an additional expansion of two are found across Arcerion, with the noted exception that none are near the Malentine Coast, due to concerns from environmental agencies about the impacts of nuclear waste and potential nuclear catastrophes on the wildlife and marine ecosystems of the Malentine Sea. The two renewable energy plants are disparate, with one in the Arcer Heartland and the other in Foxhey. The only natural gas power plants are a trip in the Arctic, representing the entirety of Arcerion's natural gas energy generation being located in Howland Governorate.
Producers and Companies
Arcerion has no national energy production companies that are owned by the state or even partially owned. However, the state does impose controls, regulations, oversight, and inspections of power generation facilities and energy infrastructure (ie. power lines, tanker loading facilities, nuclear plants and nuclear waste disposal, etc.) through multiple agencies. The Ministry of Internal Affairs manages the relationships between the Department of Energy (under the ministry of the Interior) and the governorates. As well, the Ministry of Industry and Mining imposes economic controls and tariffs on businesses, and also works with border control organizations to regulate and track the flow of Arcer energy exports. All of these organizations work together and provide inspectors for their respective disciplines. For example, the Department of Energy has rigorous inspection and assurance standards for Nuclear Power Plants, and the Ministry of Industry and Mining has a set of control measures in place to prevent mine shaft collapse and ensure worker's rights and safeties are maintained as a priority by Arcer businesses.
The Ministry of the Interior also uses the Department of Energy to manage the national power grid and power infrastructure, including the Arcer Petroleum Reserve.
Transmission
Transmission and dispersion of energy and electricity in Arcerion happens in a multitude of ways. For the coal-fired plants in the Cronan nation, mines in Easthampton transport their goods via the Arco National Railway Service across the country and for exports. In the case of domestic power plants, this is then turned into electricity and transported across electric power lines which are usually found along major roadways and pieces of national infrastructure (ie. rail lines) to limit the effect large power pylons have on the environment. There is an effort between Norham and Foxhey Governorates to extend an undersea power cable from the Dunborough Nuclear Power Plant (DNPP) to Foxhey, to help lessen their reliance on coal and fossil fuels.
In Howland Governorate Port Northford is the largest North Cronan seaport in terms of shipping volume. It exports a vast amount of liquid national gas and crude oil taken from the Albion Sea Gas Fields, some of which is refined on Howland Governorate's islands. This makes the Albion Sea key terrain for the government of Arcerion. Port Northford is also one of the five largest maritime gas and oil export facilities in Ixnay.
Key Trading Partners
Washakara
Washakara receives 64% of its national power supply from Arcerion, the remainder being provided either domestically or from Paulastra. This makes energy supply and import not only a major national issue in domestic Washakaran politics, but also a key geopolitical point for Arco-Washan relations. The Energy Agreement of 2004 between Arcerion and the Indigenous nation solidifies price increases at scheduled rates and tariff controls to ensure a fair market for Washakaran local energy production, but also to allow Arcer companies to bring their services and energy into the Southwestern Cronan market.
Telokona
Telekona is an impoverished Indigenous nation on Arcerion's Northwestern border. Due to its proximity to the Dunborough Nuclear Power Plant (DNPP), it receives two-thirds of its national energy from Arcerion. However, during the ongoing border security crisis in Norham and Northlea Governorates, Arcerion has made it clear that if Telekona allows continued attacks on key civilian and national infrastructure such as power lines, electronic substations, and transformers, then Arcerion will shut Telekona out of the Arcer national energy market. This has been a successful negotiation tool for mitigating the ongoing flow of refugees through Telekona's porous Southern border, forcing greater cooperation with Arcerion's Ministry of the Interior and Royal Arcerion Constabulary.
New Archduchy
The New Archduchy receives approximately 40% of its electricity from Arcerion, and with the planned Northumbraeland Mountain Hydroelectric Dam being constructed, this will increase that figure. However the New Archduchy has a structured political agreement with Arcerion wherein they will be a majority stakeholder through independent foreign investment in the Dam, allowing them controlling shares in the corporation that manages and sells the power. The New Archudchy also expressed interest in establishing additional power lines to their sovereign territory with the completion of the Northlea Nuclear Power Plant, and increases in the influx of Liquid National Gas imports.
Municipal and Governorates
Municipal and Governorate regulations of power plants and energy in Arcerion are independent from the federal government, but often coincide. Individual departments or bureaus of energy have their own sets of laws and standards that must be adhered to, notably in Moorden for mining safety and Howland for drilling protections and ecological disaster mitigation policy.