His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday stressed the need to start implementing projects designed to meet the Kingdom's energy demands and to increase reliance on alternative and renewable energy sources.

The King, who received the National Energy Strategy prepared by a Royal committee, highlighted the importance of immediately implementing programmes to rationalise energy consumption and provide all incentives and exemptions to ensure the success of such plans.

In January, King Abdullah entrusted HRH Prince Hamzah with chairing a Royal committee to revise and modernise the national energy strategy.

King Abdullah also instructed the government to accelerate the endorsement of legislation necessary for the implementation of vital projects in the energy sector between 2007 and 2020, valued at JD14-18 billion.

King Abdullah said privileges and exemptions should be given to institutions and entities that apply energy conservation systems.

His Majesty also gave instructions for the formation of a consultative steering committee, chaired by Prince Hamzah, to follow up on the progress of the strategy's implementation, present proposals and ideas to build on achievements and to address loopholes to ensure the speedy implementation of the strategy.

The committee will be tasked with creating an excellence award that supports initiatives, scientific research and pioneering projects in the energy field to ensure a secure supply of energy.

The King entrusted the committee with preparing studies and proposals to encourage concerned entities to support and invest in traditional and renewable energy resources.

The committee was also tasked with proposing programmes to motivate the private sector to use energy efficiently thus ensuring a secure supply during the coming decade.

In addition, the panel will be responsible for preparing periodic reports, including suggestions and recommendations to be implemented by concerned authorities.

The committee comprises the ministers of environment, finance, energy, transport, the Amman mayor, director of the Royal Court economic department, Nasser Lawzi and Sharif Zu'bi.

Prince Hamzah said the Royal committee has worked to implement King Abdullah's directives over the past 10 months and had divided the strategy into four main sections.

It formed subcommittees on oil, electricity and natural gas, renewable energy and energy conservation, local and alternative energy sources, and legislation and good governance.