What are the key energy policies to tackle change in Saudi Arabia?

Two key energy policies to tackle change are: energy eficiency and renewable energy. Within this context, this analysis intends to: (1) explore the ongoing energy transition in Saudi Arabia; (2) examine the role of renewable energy in achieving the sustainability goals in Saudi Arabia.

How much power does Saudi Arabia need?

Saudi Arabia has established a goal to source at least 50 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2030, expanding its capacity to 130 gigawatts (GW), 58.7 GW of which is expected to come from solar and 40 GW from wind. This target is the most ambitious of its kind among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Figure 1).

Is Saudi Arabia aiming for 60% renewable electricity by 2030?

Saudi Arabia is targeting 50% renewable electricity by 2030, while the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions scenario sets out a global target of 60% renewable electricity by 2030. However, while it is planning one of the most rapid scale-ups of renewables globally, the path to implementation remains unclear.

Does Saudi Arabia have an energy eficiency program?

Figure 2: Saudi’s energy transition journey. Source: Authors. One of the first energy eficiency initiatives in the KSA is the launch of the National Energy Eficiency Program in 2003 as a three-year program to improve the man-agement and eficiency of electricity generation and consumption in the kingdom.

Does Saudi Arabia have nuclear power plants?

At present, Saudi Arabia has no nuclear power plants, but has plans to include atomic energy in its future energy mix and build domestic nuclear indus-try in anticipation to meeting rapid increase in energy demand across the industrial and residential sectors.

What is Saudi Arabia's Green Initiative & Middle East Green Initiative?

Saudi Arabia has introduced the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative to elevate the presence of renewable energy sources in the primary energy blend to 50% by the year 2030. In addition, the ambitious plan is to plant 40 billion trees. 4.