Impact of COVID-19 on Electricity Consumption and Renewable Energy Integration in Morocco: An Overview of Challenges and Future Prospects

Abstract

Electricity in modern life constitutes one of the most evident actors of potential forthcoming changes in energy consumption revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. With increasing reliance on new technologies, energy consumption, especially in the form of electricity, is on the rise, with wind and solar energy becoming central to this transition in Europe and Morocco. The aim of the study is to focus on integrating the impacts of COVID-19 on the electricity consumption pattern and the incorporation of renewable energy resources into the electricity grid in Morocco. The health crisis has impacted electricity systems whereby demand has dropped drastically through the imposition of containment measures. Notwithstanding, there are pointers in demand consumption toward economic activities. The electricity network operators regard uninterrupted electricity supply across this health crisis as paramount, with renewable energies being a key contributor to uninterrupted supply. Within this context, high electricity security becomes critical, thereby calling for increasingly robust and flexible resources for reliable service delivery.