• Primary Program Energy and Macroeconomics
  • Research Interests Electricity systems, energy economics, subsidies and water-energy nexus

Biography

David is a former research associate who centered on modeling the economics of integrated energy systems, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and the surrounding Gulf countries. His recent studies have focused on the impact of energy price reform on the technology and fuel mix of the Saudi energy sector and the nexus of water, energy, and agriculture.

Prior to joining KAPSARC, David led energy efficiency efforts at the municipally-owned electric utility in Austin, Texas and served the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Publications

See all David’s publications
  • Books/books chapters
  • Discussion papers
  • Methodology paper
  • KAPSARC journal articles
  • External journal articles
The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf

The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) has been at the epicenter of global energy markets because of its substantial endowment of hydrocarbons. Yet countries in the region have also stated their intent to be global leaders in renewable energy. This collection explores the drivers for the widespread adoption of renewable energy around the GCC, the need for renewable energy and the policy-economic factors that can create success. https://www.routledge.com/The-Economics-of-Renewable-Energy-in-the-Gulf-1st-Edition/Akhonbay/p/book/9781138351905 Contributors: Ghada Abdulla, Hisham Akhonbay, Abdullah Al-Badi, Walid Ali, Odeh Al-Jayyousi, Imtenan Al-Mubarak, Maha Alsabbagh, Omar Al-Ubaydli, Moiz Bohra, Sylvain Cote, Nasreddine El-Dehaibi, Amro Elshurafa, Bassam Fattouh, Stephen Gitonga, Steve Griffiths, Marwan Khraisheh, Walid Matar, Daniah Orkoubi, Rahmatallah Poudineh, Shreekar Pradhan, Antonio Sanfilippo, Anupama Sen, Marilyn Smith, David Wogan, Lama Yaseen, Karen Young.    

17th October 2018
Policy Options for Reducing Water for Agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Policy Options for Reducing Water for Agriculture in Saudi Arabia

As populations and economies grow, a megatrend that will increasingly affect both developed and emerging economies is the policy trade-off between managing water resources and achieving food security objectives. This policy trade-off is very relevant in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which represent some of the most water scarce regions of the world and are also intent on achieving food security through domestic agriculture production. We offer a case study on the policy options for reducing water consumption while maintaining food security and farmer welfare in the GCC’s largest country, Saudi Arabia. Specifically, we explore how crop substitution can reduce aggregate water use without compromising the current level of food security or farmer welfare. Additionally, we assess the potential social implications of crop substitution options in order to better understand the political feasibility of various policy choices. The results suggest that if water usage is to be minimised while maintaining food production and farmer welfare, then the primary candidates for reduction are crops or livestock with large water intensity and low revenue and/or low production. Eliminating these types of crops would yield higher water savings than moderate reductions across a large portfolio of crops at the lowest political cost. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-6695-5_12

23rd January 2018
Toward A Sustainable Agriculture Sector: Policy Options for Reducing Water Use in Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture Sector

Toward A Sustainable Agriculture Sector: Policy Options for Reducing Water Use in Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture Sector

Water shortages are a global challenge, with one third of the world’s population still without access to clean water. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face a scarcity of water resources due to their dry climates. The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) renewable water resources are below the United Nations’ water scarcity threshold, and its water usage far exceeds the natural recharge rate by as much as 26-fold. This study investigates the water-agriculture nexus in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and provides policy options for reducing water use in the agriculture sector to sustainable levels. 

9th March 2020
Policy Pathways to Meet Saudi Arabia’s Contribution to the Paris Agreement

Policy Pathways to Meet Saudi Arabia’s Contribution to the Paris Agreement

The 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change fundamentally altered the nature of global climate governance by introducing a new framework based on a bottom-up system of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). As a signatory Party to the Agreement, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia communicated its intended nationally determined contribution (which became its first NDC) in November 2015. This included a goal of avoiding up to 130 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions per annum by 2030. This paper evaluates several supply-side policy approaches to mitigate CO2 emissions from the Saudi Arabian power and water sectors, which together account for more than 40% of the Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions. The paper aims to help inform the policymaking process in the Kingdom ahead of the communication of its second NDC in 2020. In addition to a business as usual scenario, suggested policy approaches include: A Portfolio Standard that requires up to 50 gigawatts of solar, wind and nuclear technology deployment A Clean Energy Standard that simulates a set of notional policies that reduce the carbon intensity of electricity and water production A Partial Fuel Price Reform, where fuel prices are gradually raised to about half of international price levels by 2030 A Full Fuel Price Reform where fuel prices are raised to international levels. The paper evaluates these alternative scenarios in terms of their practical implications on Saudi Arabia’s CO2 emissions, electricity production, fuel consumption, investments and cost-effectiveness, as well as on the Kingdom’s oil exports and revenues.

27th February 2019
The Costs and Gains of Coordinating Electricity Generation in the Gulf Cooperation Council Utilizing the Interconnector

The Costs and Gains of Coordinating Electricity Generation in the Gulf Cooperation Council Utilizing the Interconnector

Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have installed a network of high-voltage transmission lines, known as the GCC Interconnector, which links the member states of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Interconnector has successfully provided reliable services to GCC countries but has not yet realized its full potential as a platform to fully integrate individual electricity systems. This paper analyzes the potential costs and gains of electricity exchange among the GCC countries. Given the current political climate, it does not consider electricity exchange with Qatar, except as a sensitivity case.

10th June 2018
Policy Options for Reducing Water for Agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Policy Options for Reducing Water for Agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia relies almost exclusively on aquifers and desalination to provide its water. Roughly 87 percent of these water extractions are used for agriculture, and so any policy to improve the sustainability of water resources cannot ignore this agriculture dimension.

5th March 2016
Efficient Industrial Energy Use: The First Step in Transitioning Saudi Arabia’s Energy Mix

Efficient Industrial Energy Use: The First Step in Transitioning Saudi Arabia’s Energy Mix

External observers worry about whether Saudi domestic consumption of oil will crowd out exports. This is based on simple extrapolations which suggest that in a little more than 20 years Saudi Arabia may become a net importer of hydrocarbon fuels. However, our research does not support this. Based on the “baseline scenario” macroeconomic assumptions in Oxford Economics’ global economic and industry models, we project Saudi Arabia’s energy balances until 2032 using the KAPSARC Energy Model (KEM).

7th June 2015
GCC Energy System Overview – 2017

GCC Energy System Overview – 2017

This paper presents data sets that support economic and policy analyses of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The objective is to provide an overview of the GCC energy systems and serve as a reference for researchers performing quantitative modeling and analysis

1st October 2017
A Resource-limited approach to estimating algal biomass production with geographic fidelity

A Resource-limited approach to estimating algal biomass production with geographic fidelity

ASME Energy & Sustainability Conference 2010. Phoenix, AZ. ES2010-90154 (Peer-reviewed paper & presentation)

2010
An Improved Methodology for Reporting Solar Radiation Data

An Improved Methodology for Reporting Solar Radiation Data

Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2 (5)

2010

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