Saudi Arabia Vows to Take Legal Action Against Unlicensed Energy Use

Business

February 20th, 10:59am

Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi government stressed the importance of obtaining the necessary licenses for the use petroleum products to generate electricity. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

As Saudi Arabia continues to push for energy efficiency, rationalization of consumption, and adherence to sustainability standards, the Saudi Ministry of Energy vowed to hold accountable those who waste oil products, or transfer them to various facilities for the purpose of generating electric power without obtaining the necessary licenses. In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said that the use of petroleum products for such purposes exposes violators to legal accountability, in accordance with the provisions of the petroleum products trading system and within the framework of efforts to curb the waste of vital resources. Electric power shall be obtained through the licensed service provider, in accordance with the rules and procedures issued by the Water and Electricity Regulatory Authority, the ministry added. For its part, the Water and Electricity Regulatory Authority said that practicing any of electricity activities without obtaining the necessary statutory licenses was a violation of the provisions of the electricity system. It added that the electricity by-law stipulates that all electrical activities are subject to the authority’s regulation, and that whoever practices any of them must have a valid license issued by the authority. The authority noted that licensing aims to regulate these activities and to monitor the quality and reliability of services due to their importance to the consumers, the environment and the national economy. It also urged those who practice any unlicensed activity to apply to the authority to rectify their status to avoid penalties for violations. Saudi Arabia is a leading country in energy awareness and the rationalization of its uses. The Kingdom established a center for energy efficiency, which aims to be an international reference in this field, by working with local and international stakeholders in the government and private sectors, with the aim of developing knowledge and experience and applying best practices at home and abroad. Saudi Arabia, through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), owns the National Company for Energy Efficiency Services (Tarshid), which seeks to be a pioneer in the energy efficiency field and to build towards a more sustainable future. Tarshid has a mandate to develop, fund and manage impactful energy efficiency projects in government and commercial sectors that achieve significant energy savings for the Kingdom.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4169246/saudi-arabia-vows-take-legal-action-against-unlicensed-energy-use