The Turkish energy minister said on Thursday that Turkey aimed to generate energy from renewable energy resources by 2020.

Turkey's Energy & Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey's aim was to become a country that could generate at least 30 percent of its energy from renewable energy resources by 2020.

"The world is expected to grow four-folds by 2050, and three-fourths of the demands are expected to be met by fossil resources," Yildiz said during energy efficiency conference in Istanbul.

The U.S. Department of Energy and American-Turkish Council are co-organizing the conference.

Yildiz said the rise in demand in fossils would also cause rise in global greenhouse gas.

"If we do not change our habits, it will be worse," he said.

Yildiz said investments in clean energy were on the rise, and Turkey had an important place among G20 countries with 178 percent rise in clean energy in recent years.

"Turkey is also among the countries with a high five-year investment growth," he said.

Yildiz said 20 percent of Turkey's total energy generation was from hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy resources, but it was not enough.

Turkey wanted to raise this amount to 30 percent by 2020, he also said.

The U.S. Department of Energy is hosting a major Energy Efficiency Conference for industry and government leaders at the Hilton Istanbul on June 3-4, 2010.

This two-day conference will focus on energy efficiency in Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. It will showcase cutting-edge technologies, identify best practices, and provide guidance to businesses and governments on reducing costly energy consumption.

Other confirmed speakers include Georgia's Minister of Energy Alexander Khetaguri; Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traycho Traikov; and Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Association, Amb. Richard Jones.



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