RENEWABLE ENERGY DIPLOMACY: THE GULF STATES IN THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

The global energy system is undergoing a transition away from a near complete dependence on fossil fuels toward a greater reliance on low carbon and renewable energy sources. This chapter examines the foreign policy dimension of the energy transition by focusing on the activities of Gulf energy developers in the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA). Section one provides a brief overview of Gulf power companies in solar and wind energy projects in the CCA. Sections two, three, and four assess the extent to which geopolitics, social license considerations, and profits respectively, motivate Gulf engagement. Section five concludes with the suggestion that the commercial rationale offers the most persuasive argument overall with regard to Gulf-CCA relations in renewable energy.