Mexico tops energy-security list; US 7th

News
October 15, 2012
Platts
 
Mexico ranks first in energy security among developed countries, while the US weighs in at seventh, according to a new US Chamber of Commerce index designed to rank the world's top energy users. 
 
The "International Index of Energy Security Risk" measures countries in 28 data categories, including fossil-fuel imports, energy expenditures, power generation, carbon-dioxide emissions and per-capita energy use. It is the global counterpart to the US Energy Security Risk report that has been published for years by the Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy
 
"This index allows policymakers, business leaders and analysts to see how the US compares to other countries on energy issues and to better understand the risks that other nations face," said Karen Harbert, president of the chamber's energy institute. 
 
The inaugural index ranks 25 countries and compares them to an average for OECD countries. The rankings are based on data from 1980 through 2010. 
 
Mexico was ranked as the "most secure" country based on its comparatively low reliance on fossil-fuel imports. Mexico also ranks below the OECD average on the amount it spends on fuel imports per dollar of GDP. The country's energy expenditures per dollar of GDP and per capita are also lower than the average, the report shows. 
 
Mexico's high ranking is fairly consistent in the data from 1980 through 2010. But the country's energy security risks are mounting, the study found. 
 
"From [its] 1980 score [ranking it] 34% better than the OECD average, Mexico's score in 2010 was just 14% better," the report found. 
 
The US has closely tracked the OECD average for most of the time period, the report said. But an increase in domestic production, especially from the tight oil and gas regions, and the country's growth as an exporter of coal have boosted the US' energy security, the report concludes. 
 
Following Mexico in the top 10 were United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia.