Developing a Sustainable Energy Policy in Saudi Arabia: The Question of Nuclear Energy

Abstract

The debate about energy policy in Saudi Arabia remains an academic interest in which the public rarely engages. It is normally about the best way to maximize the country’s revenues from oil and ensure enough affordable power supplies to meet the Kingdom’s development needs. Even on a policy maker’s level, there was little public discussion about the need to review the energy mix in the Kingdom to reach a sustainable policy that fulfills those two goals about which the public are concerned, good oil revenues, and affordable energy.

The dissertation discusses the use of nuclear energy in the energy mix in the Kingdom. It argues that, given the current economic situation of the Kingdom that heavily relies on hydrocarbons, the outlook of fossil fuel prices, the rate of utilization of renewable energy in the country, and the economics of nuclear energy available today, the use of nuclear energy is not economically feasible now, or in the near future. It instead recommends that the country increases its gas production, eliminates the use of crude and heavy oil as fuel for electricity generation, and increase deployment of renewable energy such as solar and wind. It also recommends that research and development in renewable and nuclear energy should be increased, and while public funds should not invest in nuclear power plants, the government should create the legal infrastructure necessary to attract private investments in renewable and nuclear energy.

This dissertation is divided into six chapters.

Chapter one offers an introduction about nuclear energy, fissionable materials, and the type of nuclear reactors available today. It also discusses the advantages of nuclear energy, the major nuclear accidents that changed the law and the industry. And finally, it looks at the economics of nuclear energy using the latest examples in the world.

Chapter two provides an overview of the Kingdom's legal system, discussing its constitution, the government structure, and the underling religious doctrine of its law. It also dives into the country's economy and trade, with focus on its reliance on government spending which is mostly reliant on the hydrocarbon sector. It also discusses the country's new economic plan, vision 2030, and its supplementing programs.

Chapter three explores the Kingdom's energy policy. Given that the country's main energy sources are oil and gas, it takes a deep dive into the data of those sectors, as well as the electricity sector, and the regulatory scheme. It also examines the energy related policies in the vision 2030 plan.

Chapter four is dedicated to renewable energy in Saudi Arabia. While currently the renewable energy output is minimal, this chapter explains the enormous potential for this sector in the country and how it can meet a lot of its energy demand. It analyzes the solar and wind power as likely potential. It also examines the Saudi policy regarding renewable energy historically, and the path forward for renewable energy in the Kingdom.

Chapter five focuses on the international law of nuclear energy. Using the IAEA's 3S approach, it tracks the international treaties and agreements that are relevant to the safety, security and safeguarding of nuclear energy in the world, as well as the civil liability of nuclear accidents.

Chapter six is about nuclear energy law and policy in Saudi Arabia. It starts with explaining what nuclear law is, and its characteristics. It then examines the proposed laws for nuclear energy, nuclear regulatory commission, and nuclear liability in Saudi Arabia. It also provides an analysis of the considerations that should be weighed when contemplating launching a nuclear program, which is followed by a discussion of the possible scenarios of using nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia. And ends with recommendations.

During this work, a version of chapter four published in a special issue about Renewable Energy in the Middle East North Africa Region in the Oil, Gas and Energy Law journal (OGEL) in the Summer of 2017. Also, an earlier portion of chapter six was published in the Yearbook of Middle Eastern Energy, Environmental and Climate Law, by the University of Qatar, which was published during the United Nations Climate Change Conference that was hosted in Doha in 2012.

Subject Area

Law

Degree Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

S.J.D.

Department

Dedman School of Law

Advisor

John S. Lowe

Second Advisor

Joseph J. Norton

Third Advisor

Owen L. Anderson

Number of Pages

379

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS