Crossroads of power: Coordinating electricity and natural gas infrastructures in Turkey

Electricity continues to be the cornerstone of every developing economy, with many untapped opportunities for growth and enhanced efficiency (see Figure 1). Over the last few decades, the global consumption of energy has continued to grow (see Figure 2) while the inherently slow-changing electric power industry was subject to market fluctuations, government support of renewable generation, and tightening environmental regulations, all of which have led to the shrinking of the traditional coal-fired generation base. Many questions have also been raised about the future of nuclear-powered units. A large increase in global natural gas usage (see Figure 3) has compounded these strains; the installation of a large number of gas-fired generators is leading the power industry toward a new and revolutionary paradigm: the coordination and possible integration of interdependent natural gas and electricity systems.