The Relationship of Renewable Energy Generation, Renewable Energy Consumption, and Economic Growth: The Case of Türkiye

Introduction

Energy, which is an indispensable element in production activities, also forms the basis of development. The possible increase in growth also triggers the demand for energy, goods and services. The fact that manufacturers produce goods with new industries at the point of meeting the demand explains the connection between energy and economic growth (Saidi et al., 2017). Energy is also an important element for science, economy, and modern society. The level of development of countries can be measured by the amount of energy they consume per capita. As the degree of economic development increases, the need and demand for energy increases. Although the energy demand differs in terms of countries, the studies that have been/will be done show that it will come to an important place in meeting the energy need in the coming years.

Energy is also a necessary element for economic growth and development. Although the countries of the world have different levels of natural resources and economic development, the need for energy on a global scale is constantly increasing. Therefore, there is a differentiation in the energy supply and demand of countries (Wang, Zhang, & Li, 2014). With this differentiation, the high demand for goods has diversified energy into renewable energy and non-renewable energy. In this diversity, renewable energy sources have started to take their place in the first place. On the other hand, the fact that most of the global energy systems are dependent on fossil fuels and together with the strong economic development, the depletion problems of fossil fuels, as well as the environmental damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions, have been effective (Afsharzade, Papzan, & Ashjaee, 2016).

The rapid industrialization process has had an impressive effect on the process inputs. With this effect, the rate of energy demand increased somewhat. Along with this demand, fossil resources are used in energy supply in many countries. The depletion of fossil resources has revealed supply security problems. Considering the cost and environmental impact for the sustainability of energy demand, it has been seen that the most suitable solution is renewable energy sources.

While struggling with the current climate change, it has been the basic vision all over the world not to experience any loss in economic output and to prevent a decrease in the welfare level. Oil, natural gas, and coal, which are the primary energy sources in the world, mostly in the Middle East, where political instability is experienced, are rapidly depleted. Harmful emissions that occur during energy production and consumption cause climate change. This disrupts the ecological balance and has negative effects on public health in the long run. The high dependence on exhaustible resources indicates that energy supply security will be faced in the near future. Turning to alternative energies and increasing savings and efficiency in energy use are the most effective and environmentally friendly policies to be implemented against energy supply problems. Along with the growth stages and development of the countries, consumption and demand show an increasing trend. Considering that this increasing trend will continue, it is very important to switch to up-to-date technological energy solutions in meeting the demands. The uncertainty of fossil resources, the shaping of the import and export future of countries by energy-based political crises, the long-term spread of renewable energy resources have increased the concerns of countries about their energy strategies. In order to eliminate these concerns, new energy supply searches have arisen, taking into account the cost, sustainability, security of supply, environmental impact, and maintenance-repair costs.

Studies examining the effects of renewable energy use on the economy and environment are increasing day by day. In addition, according to the policies implemented after the oil crisis, the insecurity in accessing fossil fuels brought the problem of energy diversity to the agenda and efforts were made to prevent dependence on fossil resources. Many of the search for solutions for energy supply are combined with renewable and cheap energy sources. In order to ensure sustainability in the field of energy, other countries such as Türkiye need to switch to renewable energies quickly and effectively. In addition, considering the environmental and health dimensions, this transition is very important in order to minimize its negative effects on the environment and other living organisms.