The research objective of the study is to analyse the essence and specificity of energy security in the light of research on international security. Thus, various theoretical approaches, useful in the analysis of energy security issues, were taken into account. The analysis allows us to conclude that energy security issues take into account long-term development trends as well as unpredictable events related to the functioning of energy market and energy technology. Thus, unexpected, sudden phenomena resulting from the dynamics of the international environment gain in importance. The dilemma related to non-linear thinking often ignores a variety of solutions that, taken together, can cause a radical turn in the energy security concept and its evolution.