Economic evaluation of renewable energy resources of Turkey within EU relations framework

Energy is the most basic input of industrialization, improvement and development. Energy consumption is increasing each passing day according as population growth industrialization and technological developments both in the world and Turkey. As a reaction to the increase in consumption of reserves of fossil fuels which are defined as primary energy supply and providing 80% of world demand are decreasing day by day. On the one hand the reduction of fossil fuel reserves, on the other hand, environmental pollution revealed by increasing carbon emissions made use renewable energy sources compulsory for sustainable development and growth targets to be reached.In Turkey, production to meet consumption rate which was 76% in 1970 fell to 48% in 1990 and it has been actualized as 28% in 2003. Ministry of Energy estimates that energy production to meet the consumption rate is expected to fall to 23% in 2020 (İskender 2007: 65-66). 65% of hydraulic energy resources, 127 billion kWs of which can be economically assessed, 99% of wind energy with economic potential of 10,000 MW and 97% of potential of geothermal energy resources are idle.Use of these resources in Turkey is of great importance in overcoming energy bottleneck, reducing dependence on foreign resources and reducing foreign exchange losses. Renewable energy sources are among the priority issues in integration process of energy policies of Turkey?s with the ones of EU with which Turkey is in negotiation. In this respect, the aim of the study is to present what percentage of Turkey's energy demand can renewable energy sources meet, the socio-economic benefits of these resources and the necessary investments to renewable energy sources within the framework of EU relations. The results of the study displays that Turkey can meet its electricity energy demand without resorting to external resources until 2015 and 60% of those resources can be formed of renewable energy sources.