Texas Should Get Its Head in the New Solar Market Game

What would a world powered by clean, low-water energy look like? If you visit Israel’s southern region, you don’t have to imagine.

In 2011, Arava Power in the southern Israeli desert launched a 4.9 MW solar field (enough to power more than 3,000 U.S. homes). Since then nearly 200 times as much capacity — both fields and rooftops — has been installed in the region. By 2025, it’s likely solar will provide 100 percent of daytime electricity, plus excess, along the border with Jordan.

Israel Crawls Toward Green Power Future with Proposed Renewable Energy Law

Currently, only 2.6 percent of Israel's electricity is produced from renewable sources. 

A renewable energy law could be in the works after the Knesset’s Finance Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the basics before bringing it for an initial reading in the plenum.

One of the points that bothered some present was that the legislation, sponsored by MK Eitan Broshi (Zionist Union), would not spell out clean power targets, but rather leave them up to a subsequent cabinet decision. It would require, however, the National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry to uphold whatever decision the government makes.

Israel Approves New Solar Energy Quota

Israel's Public Utility Authority approved another 114 megawatt (MW) quota for new midsize and large photovoltaic fields, making it the largest solar energy quota authorized since 2011. The quota, approved Oct. 19, will be available to all commercial solar power producers as of Jan. 1, 2016, and is expected to prompt the construction of “hundreds of new commercial facilities,” the PUA said. For the first time, the new quota will be allocated through a variable, 20-year buy-back scheme at tariffs ranging from 0.27 (7 cents) to 0.31 shekels (8 cents) per kilowatt-hour.