CHAPTER 8
Levant: Where Politics Defeat Alternative
Energy Disruptions
Jessica Obeid
Overview of the Power Sector
The Middle East has long been characterized by its vast hydrocarbon
resources; yet several of its constituents are petroleum-poor, especially in
the Levant. Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, subjects of this chapter, have
witnessed significant growth in energy demand attributed to rapid urbanization and increases in population and economic activity. With either
negligible or no proved reserves to date, they consequently suffer from
a heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports. For example, imported fuels
cover 97% of Jordan’s energy needs and make up 17.5% of the kingdom’s
imports. 1 In Lebanon, they accounted for 22.7% of the total imports in
2013. 2 Palestine’s energy sector is fully dependent on fuel imports. In
J. Obeid (B)
Academy Associate-Energy Environment and Resources Programme,
Chatham House, London, UK
e-mail: jessica@obeid.re
Non-resident Fellow-Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, Lebanon
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
R. Mills and L.-C. Sim (eds.), Low Carbon Energy in the Middle East
and North Africa, International Political Economy Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59554-8_8
211
Levant: Where Politics Defeat Alternative
Energy Disruptions
Jessica Obeid
Overview of the Power Sector
The Middle East has long been characterized by its vast hydrocarbon
resources; yet several of its constituents are petroleum-poor, especially in
the Levant. Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, subjects of this chapter, have
witnessed significant growth in energy demand attributed to rapid urbanization and increases in population and economic activity. With either
negligible or no proved reserves to date, they consequently suffer from
a heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports. For example, imported fuels
cover 97% of Jordan’s energy needs and make up 17.5% of the kingdom’s
imports. 1 In Lebanon, they accounted for 22.7% of the total imports in
2013. 2 Palestine’s energy sector is fully dependent on fuel imports. In
J. Obeid (B)
Academy Associate-Energy Environment and Resources Programme,
Chatham House, London, UK
e-mail: jessica@obeid.re
Non-resident Fellow-Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, Lebanon
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
R. Mills and L.-C. Sim (eds.), Low Carbon Energy in the Middle East
and North Africa, International Political Economy Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59554-8_8
211