Supporting the Implementation of Bahrain’s Kingdom Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP)

The ongoing low oil prices served a wake-up call in the Arabian Gulf region, with oil exportation being the backbone of the local economies. The Government of Bahrain has committed to making a transition from an oil-based economy towards a more diversified one, including giving support to investments in EE technologies. However, there are many barriers to the implementation, uptake and scaling-up of EE investments, particularly on the demand side. At the request of the Bahraini government, the World Bank is implementing a three-year program to help overcome the barriers and fuel the demand for EE investments.

Econoler was commissioned to develop a national strategy for implementing the demand-side EE program in the electricity sector and an associated action plan. This project included many in-country missions to hold high-level discussions with decision-makers from a wide range of ministries and public agencies. The ultimate objective was to build national ownership of the DSM strategy and enhance the  potential for its implementation by the local authorities.

Pierre Baillargeon, who served as the EE expert throughout this assignment, witnessed an increase in interest on the part of the Bahraini authorities as the project was unfolding: “With plummeting oil prices, Bahrain realized that it is at the crossroads and actively needs to diversify its economy and impose rationing on its hydrocarbon reserves.”

Bahrain is definitely on the right track, as the KEEP will be the most carefully developed and comprehensive energy strategic program of the whole Arabian Gulf region.

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Pierre Baillargeon (far left), Vice President of Econoler, as part of the World Bank Team, met with the representatives of the Sustainable Energy Unit (SEU) of Bahrain’s Ministry of Energy and the United Nations Development Programme’s resident representatives. (© Econoler 2016)

For more information please follow this link to read the project reference: https://econoler.com/en/projects/strategic-planning-for-the-kingdom-demand-side-energy-efficiency-plan-keep-stage-2/

 

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