Abstract

Today, as the global renewable energy use represents about one fourth of the total world energy inputs, the costs and benefits of renewable energy use in electricity generation are more frequently assessed worldwide. This industry has grown almost by 20% in annual average for 5 years, compared to nearly no growth for the fossil fuel related industry. In the meantime in Cambodia, the changes of consumers’ electricity patterns and the growth of supply is but the blackout remains frequent in the dry season, and the tariff remains also high compared to neighboring countries. An explanation to this situation could be found in the lack of the renewable energy potential and its possible integration into the current power system. Definitely, diversification in electricity generation can in the long term reduce the costs and positively impacts the consumers’ electricity prices. As fossil energy has limit, reducing rapidly the energy costs is becoming a major priority for our utilities. Constraints on new search of supply sources, increasing regulations, technologies, growing populations, and climate change all combined will require us to design a new future where higher demands will proportionally match higher energy inputs.

 The purpose of this paper is to also understand the risks in implementing renewable energy technologies in Cambodia. This research outlines the cost and benefits, but also the financial risk of renewable energy with a focus on solar, wind, hydro, in Cambodia.