Renewable energy for sustainable development in Turkey

Abstract

Energy has a pivotal role in every society, touching upon all aspects of life and creating, in particular, an accelerated sustainable economic and social development, which in turn enhances the welfare of people and consolidates the country’s standing in the world. The new concepts of world energy require a shift of position in mind and strategic orientation. The coming decades are likely to bring about huge changes in the world’s energy system. Future energy policy will be driven by the triple challenge of achieving substantial reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases while ensuring a secure supply of energy, all at reasonable cost to economies. With respect to global environmental issues, Turkey’s carbon dioxide emissions have grown along with its energy consumption. States have played a leading role in protecting the environment by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. In this regard, renewable energy resources appear to be the one of the most efficient and effective solutions for sustainable energy development in Turkey. Turkey’s geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of most of these clean energy sources. This study shows that there is enough renewable energy potential in Turkey for electricity generation. Especially hydropower, biomass, solar and wind are very well.