A new report by the international renewable energy research organization REN21 found that Israel is lagging far behind the rest of the world in producing electricity from renewable energy.
The report found that 18% of the world's electricity is produced from renewable energy but only 0.4% in Israel.
Israel did get honorable mention in the section of the report dealing with use of solar energy to heat water. The obligation to put solar collectors on roofs of buildings is enshrined in Israeli law in 1976 following the energy crisis. Today Israel is ranked second in the world after Cyprus in the rate of solar energy use for heating water with 80% of homes having solar water heaters.
In all other fields, Israel lags way behind the rest of the world. Israel is listed among those countries "that have yet to decide policy on tariffs to encourage renewable energy."
In January 2009 the government set a target of 10% of electricity from renewable energy (2,000 megawatts) by 2020 and 5% by 2014. The various statutory planning bodies have plans for installations to produce several thousand megawatts but so far only installations for 50 megawatts have been built, mainly small installations on the roofs of buildings.
Licenses have not be issued due to disputes between the Ministry of National Infrastructures and the Electricity Authority over who is licensed to put up such installations.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 11, 2010
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2010