Saudis, residents consume too much electricity: StudySaudi Gazette JEDDAH – The excess consumption of electricity by residents and citizens of the Kingdom is a cause for concern. Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Al-Shehri, the Governor of the Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority in Saudi Arabia, reported a recent study that showed that the average Saudi uses more electricity than the average person in the US or Europe. Moreover, much of the power generated in the US and Europe is used for industrial production, whereas much of the electrical power generated in the Kingdom is consumed by residents for personal use. The study revealed that 80 percent of electricity consumption goes to keeping air-conditioners working. Al-Shehri draws attention to the fact that poor insulation in buildings and homes increases the need for air-conditioning and heating, which in turn drives up the electricity bill. Proper insulation reduces electricity consumption by 30 to 40 percent since the internal temperature will remain moderate even as seasons change. Eco-friendly buildings will go a long way in protecting the environment. “If the government spent SR23 billion on developing and improving the infrastructure, it would save SR75 billion in the long run for the national economy,” said Al-Shehri. According to Al-Shehri, Saudi Arabia is the number one producer of electricity in the Arab world and is the number one producer of desalinated water in the world. Water desalination plants that use petroleum and natural gas are not only depleting the nation's natural resources but also damaging the environment. Carbon emissions from these factories cause air pollution and radical climate fluctuations as well. The proposed projects to power water desalination plants with solar energy are very promising. The Saudi Electricity Company plans to spend $80 billion over the next decade to keep pace with the population growth of the Kingdom, which will result in an increase in demand for electricity by more than 30,000 megawatts by the year 2020, CEO and President of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) Ali Al-Barrak was quoted as saying in an interview with the London-based leading online industry publication, The International Resource Journal (IRJ). __
