Energy Policy in the Context of Sustainable Development: Case of Algeria and Tunisia

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, one of the major problems of mankind is to combine the energy, the respect for environment. A problem of sustainable development has been clearly demonstrated in the Earth Summit in Johannesburg 2002. Among the major battles to be fought in this century for the survival of the planet is to include energy efficiency as an international political priority, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Renewable energy, inexhaustible, clean, are needed in these conditions as a priority. Algeria has entered its energy strategy in the context of sustainable development by integrating the promotion of renewable energy. The legislative and regulatory framework adopted in recent years testifies to this irreversible commitment. Three major laws govern the field of renewable energy and state incentives enjoyed by this sector. The law on energy management enacted in 1999 provides for the creation of a National Fund for Energy Management (NFEM) which helps to finance renewable energy projects. As part of the implementation of the law on electricity and public distribution of gas by pipeline passed in 2002, executive decree on the costs of diversification of electricity production promulgated in 2004 provides for the granting of premium for green electricity up to 300% of normal rate. Some projects for electrification of rural villages in the sun have been made in Great South of Algeria.