My hypothesis isn't exactly that cold countries are "freer" than hot ones. Roughly speaking, it's that they're more rational and therefore liberal (secular humanistic or social democratic). But liberalism may not be sustainable since it can backfire with capitalism and consumerism. As I said in the article, reason isn't a panacea.

As for the national distribution of energy, that's obviously complicated by the federal level of government, and by the private owners of those means of production, which presumably will sell energy to wherever they can make the most profit.