Rethinking Renewable Energy Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan from the Perspectives of International Relations

Abstract

Energy transition represents a disruptive innovation to the conventional energy industry. Most countries in the world have embarked on the energy transition under the dual influence of the realization that hydrocarbon fuels are a limited resource and the growing awareness that they are adversely affecting the planet’s climate. As a petroleum exporting country, the Republic of Kazakhstan’s ambitious decarbonization goal of achieving 15% share of renewable energy in the domestic power generation matrix by 2030 and 50% by 2050 is in sync with global trends. The lesser-known fact is that the geopolitical ramifications due to the rise of renewable energy and electrification have opened a new front for competition between Russia, China, and the United States with regard to their strategies in Central Asia, producing significant implications on Kazakhstan’s intra-regional and extra-regional relations. This chapter aims to explore the external factors that are influential to the republic’s energy transition pathways. The latest developments indicate that Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries have shown a favorable response to a coordinated regional approach amid the Russia-China-US geopolitical triangle for a resilient, cooperative, impactful, and environment-friendly energy future.