ABSTRACT
Regional development and growth, energy security, sustainable environmental systems and human prosperity are tied together. Without adequate energy supply a modern economy cannot function and inadequacies in energy supply may be translated into the poor economic performance of specific regions or countries. It is important to highlight that the sourcing and transformation of natural resources into electricity on a regional basis can help in evening out the peaks and valleys of physical resource availability. The concept of regionalism, which 'refers to the common objectives, values and identities that lead to region-formation and regional cooperation within a given geographical area', is theoretically relevant when analysing energy and cooperation. There are many reasons why the coal and steel sectors were selected to pursue regionalisation in Europe. Energy cooperation has been a central part of European development success from the beginning not least as an enabler and catalyst for overall economic integration, which has been at the core of region-building activities to date.
