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Abstract Background Access to reliable energy services is increasingly seen as a prerequisite for well-being and human development. Copious research documents the negative consequences that occur when nations specialize in natural resource production, creating a “natural resource curse” or “paradox of plenty”. In this analysis, we evaluate how natural resource dependence, measured as oil and gas production, impacts energy security. Results Using entropy-balanced fixed effects models, we find that oil and coal production is not associated with shorter times to establish a connection to the electricity grid, fewer outages, or improve electricity access among the population. Conclusions Nations that produce oil and coal do not seem to have better energy insecurity as a result, representing a distributional inequality. Fossil fuel-producing nations should consider implementing policies that would allow them to retain more wealth from fossil fuel production.