Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy
the pandemic , identify resilience gaps , and prepare mitigation strategies for handling concurrent crises .
This paper reviews aspects of the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic on the energy industry . As will be discussed in detail , the severity of market disruptions from public health measures generally outweighed the operational impacts from energy personnel risks . Oil and natural gas markets faced unprecedented declines in demand , with market impacts exacerbated by both geopolitical concerns and financial factors . While electricity markets experienced more moderate declines , they nevertheless faced operational challenges as demand shifted away from commercial and industrial centers , and planned construction and maintenance became constrained . Falling energy demand has led to large decreases in local air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions . Pollution levels are expected to quickly return to normal , yet they provide a glimpse of what future clean energy system might bring .
The pandemic ’ s economic fallout also raises concerns about future impacts on energy access , particularly in developing countries , as well as inequality in wealthy countries . 1 The COVID-19 pandemic reveals gaps in insufficient energy services to support health services , environmental pollution from energy production exacerbating respiratory risks , energy service provision being jeopardized by financial fallout , and the potential for disaster relief and recovery to benefit incumbent energy interests . 2
The following sections explore important implications of the pandemic ; oil and gas markets ; electricity supply and operations ; and policy lessons and recommendations to improve future energy sector resilience .
Oil and Natural Gas Market Chaos Oil Markets
The oil sector likely faced the most severe market impacts of any energy sector . ( This was coupled with a somewhat unrelated global oversupply in the market as we discuss later ). As a result of social distancing guidance , stay-at-home orders , and travel restrictions , global demand for petroleum products crashed precipitously between February and April 2020 . Travel restrictions had particularly outsized impacts on jet fuel demand , as global business and tourism virtually halted . 3
1 Gebreslassie . COVID-19 and energy access : An opportunity or a challenge for the African Continent . Energy Research and Social Science 68 , October 2020 . https :// www . sciencedirect . com / science / article / pii / S2214629620302681
2 Brosemer , K ., et al . The energy crises revealed by COVID : Intersections of Indigeneity , inequity , and health . Energy Research and Social Science 68 , October 2020 . https :// www . sciencedirect . com / science / article / pii / S221462962030236X
3 Abu-Rayash , A ., & Dincer , I . Analysis of mobility trends during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic : Exploring the impacts on global aviation and travel in selected cities . Energy Research and
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