My take on this is different. According to other experts Saudi Arabia has
plenty of oil and gas for a long time to come. There's a more plausible
explanation for its solar array. It badly needs more fall-back technology
for its electricity -- a strategic reserve. Tensions are rising in the
Middle East, particularly between Shias and Sunni. Iran (Shia) has been
acquiring missiles that could easily deal a knock-out blow to the
refineries of SA (Wahhabi = Sunni). On the other hand, Iran knows that if
Israel ever attacks it then SA would join in.
Keith
At 11:38 08/04/2011 -0400, you wrote:
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
boundary="----=_NextPart_000_000F_01CBF5E1.7F5CDC70"
Content-Language: en-us
Saudis prepare for an oil-depleted future
by Ariel Schwartz
SAM MIRCOVICH / Reuters
In September, Saudi Arabia will complete a 3.5 megawatt solar array the
largest solar power plant in the country.
By Ariel Schwartz
Fastcompany.com Fastcompany.com
updated 4/8/2011 7:35:27 AM ET 2011-04-08T11:35:27
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, may not be panicking quite
yet about its ever-declining oil supply but the country is certainly
concerned.
Consider: In February, a Wikileaks document
<http://www.fastcompany.com/1725372/wikileaks-may-have-just-confirmed-the-existence-of-peak-oil>revealed<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-1>1
that Saudi Arabia might be overstating its oil reserves by 300 billion
barrels, and the country recently
<http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding>asked<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-2>2
for a slice of the UN's $100 billion climate change fund to help diversify
to other
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/>energy
sources<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-3>3
(a galling request from such a wealthy country so dependent on other
people not diversifying to other energy sources).
And now the kingdom has announced that it plans to spend $100 billion on
solar, nuclear and other
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/>renewable
energy<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-4>4
sources. They haven't announced over what time period they will spend it,
but that's a lot of cash. Private investments in Chinese renewable energy
projects totalled
<http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding>$54.4
billion last
year<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-5>5,
which was the highest of any country.
"Fuel supply is one of the major challenges facing the power sector and
the nation," Saleh Al-Awaji, Saudi Arabias deputy minister for electricity
at the Ministry of Water,
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-31/saudi-arabia-to-target-solar-power-in-100-billion-energy-plan.html>said
at a recent
conference<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-6>6in
Abu Dhabi. "The policy is to work intensely on saving energy and making
sure every barrel of oil that can be saved is, and is made available for
export."
That means Saudi Arabia wants to wean itself off oil but keep the rest of
us hooked (unless it has plans to become the world's largest solar-panel
exporter, too). The country still has a long way to go in reducing its
reliance on oil Saudi Arabia consumes 2.4 million barrels a day, and is
expected to need at least 8.3 million barrels by 2028 if no action is
taken. But the U.S. consumes a staggering 18.8 million barrels daily,
making it the most oil-hungry nation in the world. A large portion of our
oil comes from Saudi Arabia, which exports nearly 9 million barrels each day.
Saudi Arabia does, at least, have an advantage in the solar power arena:
plentiful sun. In September, the kingdom will complete a 3.5 megawatt
solar array the largest solar power plant in the country. That's not very
large considering that the largest solar plants in the world produce
nearly 100 megawatts of power, but it's a much-needed start for a country
that has grown in proportion to its oil wealth.
More from FastCompany.com:
----------
References
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-1>^<http://www.fastcompany.com/1725372/wikileaks-may-have-just-confirmed-the-existence-of-peak-oil>revealed
(www.fastcompany.com) (
http://www.fastcompany.com/1725372/wikileaks-may-have-just-confirmed-the-existence-of-peak-oil
)
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-2>^<http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding>asked
(www.fastcompany.com) (
http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding
)
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-3>^<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/>energy
sources (www.msnbc.msn.com) (
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/ )
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-4>^<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/>renewable
energy (www.msnbc.msn.com) (
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42457058/ns/business-world_business/ )
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-5>^<http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding>$54.4
billion last year (www.fastcompany.com) (
http://www.fastcompany.com/1743133/china-clobbers-the-competition-in-this-years-clean-energy-race-with-544-billion-in-funding
)
*
<https://www.readability.com/articles/se5fb2cl?legacy_bookmarklet=1#rdb-footnote-link-6>^<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-31/saudi-arabia-to-target-solar-power-in-100-billion-energy-plan.html>said
at a recent conference (www.bloomberg.com) (
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-31/saudi-arabia-to-target-solar-power-in-100-billion-energy-plan.html
)
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Keith Hudson, Saltford, England http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2011/04/
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