At first glance, it would seem that the Middle East countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would have little to gain by harmonization of the expansion and operation of their collective electricity generation resources. After all, we are talking about one of the great energy surplus regions of the world. One would think the region would have little to gain from joint planning, given the region's oil and gas endowments and lack of major scale economies in gas-fueled electric generation units. Purdue University's energy modeling group is seeking partners within the Middle East community of utilities and regulators to work together on energy trade policies that will provide increased cost savings from improved integrated regional energy trade patterns..

A least-cost regional approach to economic growth through industrial electrification has many potential benefits for the GCC. Secondly joint development of the transmission network of the GCC increases the reliability of the system, allowing all six countries (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qater, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia) to use the collective capacity of the region to insure a reliable electricity supply, rather than each having to construct its own reserves. This approach to power systems and power pool development is a very cost-effective strategy. These benefits were discussed by the Purdue team while at the Middle East Power Generation Summit, in Dubai, UAE, October 2002. Development of an electricity export strategy, for the GCC region as a whole, can raise significant revenues.

1. Bowen, B.H., Sparrow, F.T., Yu, Z., Al-Salamah, M., "Policy Analysis in the Development of Integrated Middle East Regional Energy Markets," Presented at the 8th Power Generation Conference, Dubai, UAE, October 6-9, 2002.
   
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2. Al-Salamah, M., Sparrow, F.T., Bowen, B.H., and Yu, Z., "Optimal Construction and Operation of the GCC Regional Natural Gas and Electricity Production and Transmission Systems," Presented at the 8th Power Generation Conference, Dubai, UAE, October 6-9, 2002.
   
   Click here to download this document (PDF)
   
   Click here to download the Presentation of this article
   
   
3. Sparrow, F.T., Bowen, B.H., and Al-Salamah, M., "The Gulf Cooperation Council & Economic Integrated Electricity Planning, 2003 to 2015," Draft Proposal, October 17, 2002.
   
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