Why does Saudi Arabia have a high energy consumption?

Saudi Arabia's elevated per capita energy consumption, considerable electricity generation, expanding energy production and authorized power capacity, governmental backing for energy efficiency campaigns, and considerable prospective benefits from renovating structures underscore its endeavors and obstacles in the energy domain. 1.

Why is Saudi Arabia developing alternative energy sources?

Along with joining global forces to addressing climate change and accelerating the needed energy transition, Saudi Arabia is driven by other socio-economic factors to developing alternative energy sources.

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).

Will Saudi Arabia generate 50% of its electricity from renewables?

In January 2021, Saudi Arabia announced its intent to generate 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030, with the other half coming from natural gas-fired power gen-eration (Paraskova, 2021). The total renewable energy installed capacity in Saudi Arabia has increased from 3 MW in 2011 to 413 MW in 2020 (Figure 3).

Does Saudi Arabia have a wind energy potential?

Saudi Arabia has immense wind energy potential, particularly in its northwestern and coastal regions. The Kingdom has set a target of producing 50 gigawatts of wind energy capacity by 2030.