MOROCCO PLANS NEW ENERGY

This news brief says a lot in a few words. The Kingdom of Morocco has a fund to supply basic food and energy services to its population. The cost of petroleum-sourced energy has gone up so much it is cutting into the fund’s ability to feed the hungry. Solution? New Energy investment. It may cost now, but there is money in the fund now.

Later, food will be even more expensive. Rising demand in the liquid fuel sector driven by Asian and BRIC-nation growth is unlikely to abate. Nor is the misguided investment in food crop-based biofuels. But Morocco will be able to afford the food because it will have a handle on its energy costs when more and more of its energy comes from New Energy at progressively diminishing costs.

Too bad current US leadership isn’t as far-sighted as Morocco's leaders. (Ever expect to read that remark anywhere?)

Morocco plans to increase renewable energy’s market share to 10 pct vs 4 by 2012
November 22, 2007 (AFX News/Thomson Financial via Forbes)

WHO
Mulud Ait Haddu, secretary-general, Moroccan ministry of energy and environment

click to enlarge

WHAT
Morocco’s public and private sectors will jointly work to develop much more of the country’s energy from renewable sources.

WHEN
The goal is to obtain 10% of Morocco’s energy from renewable sources by 2012.

WHERE
The announcement came in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city.

Morroco's solar resources range from mid-spectrum to the top. It also has excellent off-shore wind resources. (click to enlarge)

WHY
Morroco presently only gets 4% of its energy from renewables.
Petroleum sources are presently 59% of Morocco’s primary energy. The government’s oil expense was 40 bln dirhams (3.6 bln eur) in 2006 andwill be 43 bln dirhams (3.9 bln eur) in 2007.

QUOTES
Mulud Ait Haddu, secretary-general, Moroccan ministry of energy and environment: 'The goal is to bring the share of renewable energy from 4 to 10 pct by 2012, in order to reduce spending and to gain independence of supply…'