Khaberni - In the midst of the accelerating regional scene's ambiguity and the absence of a clear horizon for the end of surrounding conflicts, "energy security" is no longer just a technical file studied by specialized committees. It has become a major sovereign issue, as important as national security in its military sense. Managing the energy sector during crises requires safe passage over a minefield of economic and political challenges, where wise decision-making is the fine line between stability and exposure.
There is no doubt that shifting towards alternative and renewable energy is a strategic long-term option. However, relying solely on these sources in wartime remains a risky gamble.
At moments of "crisis peak," companies are forced to operate generation plants using alternative fuels (such as diesel or fuel oil), which are costly in terms of burdening the state budget and pressurizing electricity tariffs, besides being less efficient and less sustainable in supply quality.
With the potential shortage of natural gas supplies, the equation becomes even more complicated.
When crises intensify, gas stops being a mere commercial commodity subject to the laws of supply and demand and becomes a "tool of reassurance" for the national economy.
This highlights the utmost priority in securing a strategic reserve within Jordanian borders.
The presence of regional companies managing gas should not prevent the imposition of sovereign control to ensure that available gas quantities are not rerouted outside the borders when the local market needs it.
Here, sovereignty means that the first priority is for the Jordanian market first, and it is a pillar of national security.
The floating storage and regasification unit in Aqaba forms the fundamental pillar of Jordan's emergency strategy. Enhancing reliance on it requires high-level coordination with partners.
This coordination must ensure absolute clarity in regasification procedures and scheduling quantities, to close any loophole that might lead to a leak of supplies outside the national priority framework, ensuring the utmost readiness to convert liquefied natural gas into natural gas that feeds the stations in the toughest conditions.
Managing the energy file in wartime does not tolerate any laxity, and here the pivotal role of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in drawing preventive, not defensive, policies becomes apparent.
And for the Energy and Mineral Regulatory Commission in ensuring fair distribution and protecting the rights of the consumer and the state. And for the National Electric Power Company in monitoring and tracking quantities to ensure not a single "cubic meter" is lost in a moment of abundance because we will definitely need it in the current situation.
In conclusion, gas at this stage is the real "safety valve" that protects the state from economic exposure. The wise decision is the one that smartly balances between international contractual obligations and national sovereignty necessities, placing Jordan's interest above any transient commercial consideration.
Energy security is not just a technical file... it is a sovereign decision par excellence.
