The push to decarbonize, sudden geopolitical shocks, and the rapid spread of digital tools have made the centralized plants, predictable demand, and cheap fossil inputs look outdated. If we continue to define efficiency as simply “lowest cost per MWh,” we miss the bigger picture. Energy supply chains are being pulled in too many directions at once. This journal explains efficiency as a strategic capability that balances equity, reliability, carbon, and security, and across the whole system. Drawing on the 2016 research in supply chain management, energy systems, and strategy, I identify four core challenges that are holding energy supply chains back: the decarbonisation complexity paradox, the tension between resilience and fragmentation, the gap between digital tools and governance, and misaligned institutions across borders. To move forward, I propose four directions: designing for circularity and decentralization, orchestrating multi-actor ecosystems, using digital twins for shared transparency, and adopting adaptive institutional strategies. The argument here is simple: efficiency is no longer just an operations problem. It’s a leadership and design problem. The paper contributes by linking energy transition debates with supply chain theory and gives practical cues for executives, regulators, and researchers who need to build systems that are clean, secure, and affordable at the same time.
Damian Chibuikem Abraham (Thu,) studied this question.