The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north
ABSTRACT This article examines how US policy makers relate to the European Arctic as an oil and gas region, and more specifically to Norway's efforts to promote the region through its high north policy. The ‘high north’ is defined as the Norwegian and Russian sectors of the Barents Sea. The Nor...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2009
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247408007754 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247408007754 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247408007754 2024-03-03T08:41:48+00:00 The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north Offerdal, Kristine 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247408007754 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247408007754 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 45, issue 1, page 59-71 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2009 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247408007754 2024-02-08T08:27:24Z ABSTRACT This article examines how US policy makers relate to the European Arctic as an oil and gas region, and more specifically to Norway's efforts to promote the region through its high north policy. The ‘high north’ is defined as the Norwegian and Russian sectors of the Barents Sea. The Norwegian assumption that northern oil and gas is of interest to the international community is tested by analysing and explaining the character of the US approach, with an assessment of whether Norway has succeeded in influencing how the USA views the high north as an energy region. Norway has managed to raise the awareness of the high north as an energy region in Washington, but the interest in the topic has been moderate. Moreover, Norwegian policy makers in the first phase of the high north initiative have misinterpreted US officials' definition of the situation in which Washington's foreign energy policy is developed. Ironically, Norway's ‘exemplary’ energy policy has led to less response than was initially expected, whereas Russia seems to be of significantly greater interest for the USA. With its relatively small resource potential, straightforward investment climate and unclear high north strategy, Norway and its high north do not stand out as very interesting to the USA, which tends to direct more attention to cases in which its oil and gas companies work under more uncertain investment framework conditions in regions with huge energy resources. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Barents Sea Polar Record Cambridge University Press Arctic Barents Sea Norway Polar Record 45 1 59 71 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Offerdal, Kristine The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
ABSTRACT This article examines how US policy makers relate to the European Arctic as an oil and gas region, and more specifically to Norway's efforts to promote the region through its high north policy. The ‘high north’ is defined as the Norwegian and Russian sectors of the Barents Sea. The Norwegian assumption that northern oil and gas is of interest to the international community is tested by analysing and explaining the character of the US approach, with an assessment of whether Norway has succeeded in influencing how the USA views the high north as an energy region. Norway has managed to raise the awareness of the high north as an energy region in Washington, but the interest in the topic has been moderate. Moreover, Norwegian policy makers in the first phase of the high north initiative have misinterpreted US officials' definition of the situation in which Washington's foreign energy policy is developed. Ironically, Norway's ‘exemplary’ energy policy has led to less response than was initially expected, whereas Russia seems to be of significantly greater interest for the USA. With its relatively small resource potential, straightforward investment climate and unclear high north strategy, Norway and its high north do not stand out as very interesting to the USA, which tends to direct more attention to cases in which its oil and gas companies work under more uncertain investment framework conditions in regions with huge energy resources. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Offerdal, Kristine |
author_facet |
Offerdal, Kristine |
author_sort |
Offerdal, Kristine |
title |
The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
title_short |
The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
title_full |
The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
title_fullStr |
The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
title_full_unstemmed |
The European Arctic in US foreign energy policy: the case of the Norwegian high north |
title_sort |
european arctic in us foreign energy policy: the case of the norwegian high north |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247408007754 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247408007754 |
geographic |
Arctic Barents Sea Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Barents Sea Norway |
genre |
Arctic Barents Sea Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Arctic Barents Sea Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 45, issue 1, page 59-71 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247408007754 |
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Polar Record |
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45 |
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1 |
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59 |
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71 |
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1792497397682667520 |