Call for Abstracts – Energy Highlights

Energy security is a key topics amongst Allies. NATO outlined the strategic threat in the 2022 Strategic Concept and reinforced its importance at the 2024 Washington Summit.

The NATO ENSEC COE Energy Highlights journal examines topics across the civil-military spectrum. Recent Issues have explored military fuel consumption trends and future supply security; Artificial Intelligence’s application to the energy sector (including opportunities and risks), and the adequacy of electricity transmission, distribution and storage capacity over the coming decades. The journal features experts from within NATO Command Structures and Centres of Excellence, national ministries, industry, and academia.

Three Issues of Energy Highlights are scheduled for 2025: Spring, Summer, and Autumn. These will feature a mix of short- and long-form research papers between 1500 and 4000 words. The objective of these Issues will be to spotlight emerging trends within the energy security landscape for the Community of Interest (CoI): NATO HQ, national ministries of Allied nations, industry, and academia.

This is a call for abstracts from prospective authors who would like for their research to be considered for the Energy Highlights journal. You are invited to submit a brief outline of intended areas of exploration within a research paper. Submissions are open to all within the CoI.

In addition to this call for abstracts, NATO ENSEC COE run periodical competitions where prospective authors can submit their full-length papers for the chance to win a prize as well as being featured in the journal. We welcome authors’ interest in either process.

Potential topics for this issue have been identified in consultation with the CoI and include, but are not limited to:

1. Emerging Market Trends in the Energy Transition: Investigate changing patterns in commodity flows, supply & demand forecasts which may impact Allies’ energy policy. 
2. Energy consumption trends of Allied militaries: Explore how energy demand (operations and/or estates) has changed over time and how it might evolve.
3. Emerging technologies for energy efficiency in the military: Explore the latest advancements and breakthroughs in solar, wind, hydro, and other renewable energy sources.
4. Smart Grids and Energy Management: Discuss the integration of smart grids and advanced energy management systems to optimize energy distribution and consumption.
5. Impact of energy transition on defence strategy: how is the push towards decarbonisation affecting military capability, and how are Allies responding.
6. Decentralized Energy Systems: Discuss the rise of decentralized energy production, including microgrids and local renewable energy initiatives and its impact on energy security.
7. Climate Resilience and Adaptation: Explore strategies for building resilience against the impacts of climate change and ensuring a sustainable energy future.

Submission information:

Abstract submission deadlines for 2025 Issues:

Spring Issue: Sunday 7th December 2024

Summer Issue: Sunday 6^th April 2025

Autumn Issue: Sunday 4^th August 2025

You are invited to submit your abstract, which should be no more than 2,300 characters. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Managing Editor: Ben Cook (Ben.Cook@enseccoe.org).

Prospective authors will be contacted within two weeks of the submission deadline, and those chosen will have approximately 8 weeks to prepare full papers. Upon submission, there is a period of editing with the COE editorial team (if required) in advance of publication. To note, depending on the number of submissions, articles may be featured in a later edition of the journal – to be agreed with the author.