by Selen Tonkus
ISTANBUL
As long waited rain did not fall in April, too, the capacity of hydro plants in Turkey has considerably decreased, which can cause an increase in the use of natural gas for electricity production during summer, driving the prices up. Harvard Electricity Policy Group's Executive Director Ashley Brown advises Turkey to compel customers to reduce their energy use.
Turkey has over 64,000 Megawatt hours (MWhs) of total installed electric capacity, 22,000 MWs of which are supplied through hydropower sources. The government aims to produce 36,000 MWs electricity capacity through hydro energy. One Megawatt-hour is sufficient electricity to power 240 to 400 households.
Brown spoke to Anadolu Agency in Istanbul on Saturday on the sidelines of the 20th International Energy and Environment Conference, whose main media sponsor was Anadolu Agency.
Asked his opinion about Turkey's decreasing availability of hydropower due to lack of rain, Brown said the best solution over the short run is to get the consumers to respond to crisis by reducing their demand.
"In other markets when price goes up, people stop buying, but in electricity people can't do that because they don’t get the signals," said Brown, adding that if price arrangements for peak hour electricity usage are reached with customers, then, customers can be warned of electricity shortages and would be more willing to reduce their use to avoid paying more.
"I don’t encourage blackouts, but rather using electricity more efficiently," he noted, and added that it is possible to reduce electricity usage by 20 percent in this way.
Brown also encourages Turkey to supplement hydroelectric power with solar and wind sources, instead of relying on natural gas, which is an expensive imported source. He added that the stored water in Turkey's hydroelectric dams could be used more efficiently.
Turkey's electricity demand in 2023 is expected to be around 500 million MWh a year, currently standing around 239 million MWh. Turkey generates 46 percent of its electricity from natural gas, 98 percent of which comes from imports, and costs up to US$60 billion a year. This nearly doubles the global average of 25% percent use of natural gas in power generation.
AA asked how Turkey should deal with illegal electricity consumption, a big problem in Turkey. Brown answered that the government should distinguish between those people who can't pay as opposed to those who simply don’t pay, then develop an effective subsidy program for those who can't pay, while imposing penalties on those who refuse to pay.
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