The US Senate has approved cooperation with Israel in clean energy - the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The House of Representatives is due to approve the bill later this week, and President George W. Bush is expected to then sign it into law. The Senate vote was 86:8.
The bill will establish a third binational science cooperation body, in addition to the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) and Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD-F). The Energy Independence Act stipulates that the Secretary of Energy will establish a program for grants to support research, development, and commercialization of technologies for renewable energy and the efficient production and use of energy.
Israeli sources in Washington predict $20 million in allocations a year over the next five years for joint US-Israeli energy projects. The US Department of Energy and Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructures will formulate an agreement and settle related issues.
The Energy Independence Act includes financing grants for the production of energy from biofuel, biomass, wind, ocean waves, and geothermal sources. Projects will include joint basic research between US and Israeli academic institutions and applied research projects between companies from both countries.
A three-person panel will head the advisory committee: one representative from the US federal government, a candidate from a list prepared by BIRD-F, and a candidate from the BSF.
The new program is the result of American Jewish Congress-sponsored talks between scientists, engineers, academics, and company executives held in Jerusalem in 2003. The American Jewish Congress subsequently took the project under its wing and lobbied for it on Capitol Hill. The program has broad bipartisan support, due in part to Congress's satisfaction with the activities of BIRD-F and the BSF.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 16, 2007
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