Country Fact Sheet, Jordan: Energy and Development at a glance 2017

Jordan is experiencing steady economic growth, which is leading to improved living standards and a higher degree of urbanization. The country’s economic growth is linked to i) ongoing tendencies, such as increased population due to immigration and climate change impacts on, for instance, scarce water resources; and ii) growing energy demand, especially for electricity. Electricity, a necessary precondition for economic growth, is required for industrial development and transportation and for electricity-intensive technologies such as cooling and water desalination. Jordanian economic growth is also coupled with fossil fuel consumption, with the biggest share of the country’s electricity supply coming from imported fossil fuels. Because of the unstable political situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the volatility of energy prices, Jordan’s reliance on energy imports is threatening its security of supply. The Jordanian government is seeking alternatives to imported energy. Renewable energy sources are a high priority, with the government having set the target of reaching 10% of renewable energies in the final energy mix by 2020. While there are several strategies and action plans on how to reach this target, other options such as nuclear, natural gas, and exploration of offshore gas fields are also currently under discussion. Nuclear energy, for instance, could constitute 6% of the overall energy mix by 2020. Jordan has favorable conditions for renewable energies such as wind and solar. Even though the share of renewable energies is not currently significant, this could soon change, given that several projects for deployment of renewable energies are currently in the planning or implementation phases. The goal of this background report is to understand the socioeconomic and political context of the ongoing energy transition in Jordan. The background report is organized around the following questions: - What are the current socioeconomic challenges in Jordan? - What are the political background and framework conditions for participatory governance? - What is the energy context, including current supply and demand and the state of electricity transmission grids? - What is the institutional and regulatory structure of energy policy in Jordan? Addressing these questions is essential for understanding the feasibility of each of the nine technologies discussed in the MENA-SELECT project, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables. It is also essential for understanding the human factors of the energy transition, such as the different views of the main stakeholder groups involved in the energy policy process