HIBAPRESS – A. Mohayawi
The Infrastructure, Energy, Minerals, Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the House of Representatives held a session on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, dedicated to presenting and discussing the annual report of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority for the year 2024, in the presence of the head of the authority, Zuhair Charafi, who gave a comprehensive presentation on the status of the national electricity sector, its development prospects, and the structural challenges.
Zuhair Charafi, in his intervention, confirmed that the national electricity sector continues to record positive and accelerating momentum, in line with the high royal directives of King Mohammed VI, aimed at accelerating the energy transition and strengthening the position of renewable energies, with the goal of achieving a percentage exceeding 52 percent of the national electricity mix by 2030. He further explained that this momentum is embodied through the launch and implementation of major structural projects for electricity generation from renewable sources, the development of seawater desalination plants based on clean energy, in addition to supporting strategic industrial projects, including Gigafactories, along with the gradual involvement in establishing green hydrogen chains and its derivatives. Charafi stressed that achieving these strategic goals requires establishing an integrated legal and regulatory framework that guarantees the legal security of investments, and achieves a balance between the rights and obligations of various actors across the electricity value chain. In this context, he highlighted the adoption of a number of important regulatory texts during 2024, especially those related to certificates of origin and smart meters, which will enhance the transparency of the electricity system and facilitate the integration of electricity produced from renewable energies within the national grid. Regarding the challenges, the head of the authority pointed out that the electricity sector faces major challenges, foremost of which is ensuring the security and continuity of electricity supply, and modernizing the infrastructure of the national electricity grid to accommodate the increasing increase in electricity production from renewable sources, including decentralized production, according to the highest standards of safety and quality. He also emphasized the need to develop flexibility mechanisms and strengthen the transport and distribution networks, while encouraging private investment within a transparent and clear regulatory framework. As for the authority's achievements for the year 2024, Charafi reviewed a number of structural regulatory projects, most notably the approval and publication of the national electricity system's capacity for the period 2025-2029, which reached 9,338 megawatts, providing a clear vision for investors regarding opportunities to connect to the national grid. Also, for the first time, the tariff for using the national electricity grid for transport for the regulatory period 2024-2027 was determined and published, based on a transparent and objective methodology, in a pivotal step towards establishing modern governance for the sector. In addition, the authority approved the quality indicators of the electricity transport network, and the code of conduct for network management, with the aim of ensuring reliability and efficiency, and combating any discriminatory practices in accessing the network. The head of the authority also pointed to the continuation of work, during 2024, on a number of strategic projects, including the preparation of the accounting chapter for the activities of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, and the determination of the tariff for the use of medium-voltage distribution networks, as well as the tariff for surplus electricity. The presentation was followed by an in-depth discussion between the committee members and the head of the authority, where the deputies presented their observations and recommendations on the authority's performance and the future of the national electricity sector. In his interaction with these interventions, Zuhair Charafi renewed the authority's commitment to continue mobilizing all efforts to modernize the national electricity sector, and to effectively contribute to the success of the energy transition project, in implementation of the high royal directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him, which outlines the features of a sustainable energy future that reflects the Kingdom's natural potential and enhances its regional and international leading role.
