Keynote speaker Dr. Farouk El-Baz says, "A majority of power generation projects in the region use oil and gas for their energy source. While the region is trying to match energy supply with the rising demands, there has been a surge in heavy investments in energy projects. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), partly because to its exponential growth, is pioneering this movement by considering wind, solar, and more recently nuclear power as viable alternatives. . . . One of the major areas of focus in Arab nations should be effective implementation of solar energy projects. Already, the sun’s contribution to human energy needs is substantial worldwide; solar electricity generation is a growing, multi-billion dollar industry. But, the solar share of the total energy market remains small, well below one percent of total energy consumption, compared with roughly 85% from oil, natural gas, and coal. Right there we see the potential for massive growth."
My comment: The Middle East has a long way to go to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but the Emirates seem to be leading the way. If the technology is competitive solar makes sense. Send the oil and gas to places where solar is impractical. Query: Is the oil and gas used to generate electricity in the Gulf subsidized or purchased at market prices?
According to this item http://www.dubaicityguide.com/geninfo/news_dtls.asp?newsid=12330 renewable energy technologies will be one of the topics to be discussed at the 5th WTA Techno-Mart in Dubai from 14th to16th April.
Keynote speaker Dr. Farouk El-Baz says, "A majority of power generation projects in the region use oil and gas for their energy source. While the region is trying to match energy supply with the rising demands, there has been a surge in heavy investments in energy projects. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), partly because to its exponential growth, is pioneering this movement by considering wind, solar, and more recently nuclear power as viable alternatives. . . . One of the major areas of focus in Arab nations should be effective implementation of solar energy projects. Already, the sun’s contribution to human energy needs is substantial worldwide; solar electricity generation is a growing, multi-billion dollar industry. But, the solar share of the total energy market remains small, well below one percent of total energy consumption, compared with roughly 85% from oil, natural gas, and coal. Right there we see the potential for massive growth."
My comment: The Middle East has a long way to go to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but the Emirates seem to be leading the way. If the technology is competitive solar makes sense. Send the oil and gas to places where solar is impractical. Query: Is the oil and gas used to generate electricity in the Gulf subsidized or purchased at market prices?
Posted by David at HaraBara http://www.harabara.com