The stability of the Mediterranean increasingly hinges on energy security. Facing volatile fossil fuel markets and surging power demand, most Mediterranean countries have signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Accelerating the clean energy transition is a climate policy imperative and an exercise in strategic statecraft. By expanding solar, wind, and other clean sources, Mediterranean nations can bolster three core dimensions of energy security: availability and supply adequacy, affordability and accessibility, and diversification of sources and infrastructure.

Meeting Tomorrow's Demand Today

The most immediate test of this transition lies in meeting basic supply needs. Electricity demand is rising quickly. In Southern Mediterranean countries, final energy use could double by 2040, with power demand potentially tripling as heatwaves drive air-conditioning loads. Systems built around imported fuels are vulnerable when shocks arrive. In Lebanon, for example, fuel shortages forced its national power company, Électricité du Liban (EDL), to exhaust its fuel reserves, causing a nationwide blackout in August 2024 that brought essential services to a standstill. In 2023-24, Egypt imposed daily rolling blackouts during extreme heat and gas shortages, affecting energy access for both households and industry.

Accelerating renewables addresses supply adequacy by adding domestic generation at speed. Last year, the Egyptian government signed a land access agreement with Masdar, Infinity Power, and Hassan Allam Utilities to develop a landmark 10 GW onshore wind farm in Upper Egypt, a project expected to save approximately $5 billion per year in natural gas imports. Lebanon’s citizens deployed distributed solar at record pace, with rooftop and off‑grid systems surging to approximately 870 MW by end of 2022, a 47‑fold rise in annual additions since 2020, helping keep the lights on amid grid failures and diesel shortages.

Reliability improves when generation is distributed and networks are connected. Modern grids can balance solar and wind across geographies and time zones. The European Commission is developing the Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative (T-MED)—a strategic framework to accelerate renewable energy production, cross-border electricity trade, and clean-tech industrial development across the Mediterranean region. Grid resilience is also advancing through targeted regional investments in storage and smart-grid technology. In Greece, a 4.7 GW battery storage program launched in 2025 is designed to reduce renewable curtailment and give grid operators rapid-response capability during demand surges. Cyprus is deploying 400 MWh of transmission-owned battery systems at key substations to store excess solar and wind and release it when needed, thus stabilizing supply. Yet even when supply is adequate, energy security remains fragile if that power comes at unsustainable costs.

The Economics of Independence

This is where renewables offer their second strategic advantage. The 2022 gas price crisis exposed the risks of fossil dependence. That summer, record solar generation helped the EU avoid €29 billion in gas imports, easing pressure on consumers and public budgets. As deployment has grown, technology costs have plunged: In 2024, the International Renewable Energy Agency reported that solar PV projects were 41% cheaper and onshore wind 53% cheaper than the cheapest fossil-fuel alternatives. In many Mediterranean markets today, new solar and wind farms generate electricity cheaper than gas‑fired power plants. 

Lower costs translate into better access. Tunisia demonstrates this clearly. The country generates 97% of its power from fossil fuels and imports nearly half its gas. Heavy import bills have pushed the energy trade deficit above 7% of GDP. Yet Tunisia’s renewable potential is approximately 320 GW, compared to a peak demand of only about 5 GW. This presents it with a vast opportunity to replace costly imports with homegrown power. Scaling utility‑scale projects alongside rooftop solar and storage can cut production costs, stabilize prices for households and businesses, and reduce subsidy pressures.

Southern Europe’s momentum is also helping shield consumers. In Greece, renewables supplied 57% of electricity in 2023 as solar became a major contributor, dampening exposure to gas price swings. Morocco continues to expand its renewable energy capacity, reaching 40% of total installed capacity last year according to the national regulator, reinforcing a strategy to reduce import dependence. For consumers across the region, more renewables means predictable, stable‑cost electricity, fewer fuel shocks, and faster connections for underserved communities through distributed systems that can leapfrog legacy system constraints. But affordable, accessible power means little if it depends on a single source or supplier.