Kibbutz Ketura, Israel – Israel Plans Expansion Of Solar-Generated Power

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    Kibbutz Ketura, Israel – Israel is planning an expansion of its solar-generated electricity with preparations to bring the first of more than 40 new solar plants onto the grid this summer.

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    Arava Power is building the plants, including the 100 million shekel ($30 million) Ketura Sun solar field in Israel’s scorching Negev desert, which will begin providing electricity to some 1,000 residents this summer.

    Israel is pushing to become a world leader in alternative energy, with the government backing cutting-edge technologies and setting a goal to have 10 percent of its electricity generated by alternative means by 2020.

    Israel depends almost entirely for its energy on imported coal and natural gas. Its gas supply from Egypt has become more volatile since President Hosni Mubarak’s February ouster because of attacks on the pipeline and criticism in Egypt over the pricing of the exports.

    “Our goal is to green the grid so much that Israel will be the first major economy that will transform itself from carbon-based to solar-based,” Arava President Yosef Abramowitz said Friday.

    Once connected, the 20-acre (8-hectare) Ketura solar plant will produce nearly 5 megawatts. It is expected to sell power to Israel’s Electric Company for 1.52 shekels (45 cents) per kilowatt-hour for 20 years.

    A 125-acre (50-hectare) plant being built nearby is expected to provide one-third of the electricity needed to power the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the south.

    Last year, Israel dedicated a smaller on-grid solar project — an $8.5 million collection of 40 solar panel systems that supplies 2 megawatts, enough to power about 500 homes.

    Israel has dozens of solar fields, but most are pilot projects to test new technologies.

    Abramowitz said the company aims to produce 400 megawatts at a cost of $2 billion.


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    5 Comments
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    Anthony
    Anthony
    12 years ago

    Yay, finally the Jewish state is really plunging ahead with this green technology!
    It truly is the future. More countries and especially the US should be forging ahead with these technologies. Instead of being so reliant on fossil fuels and having to tolerate all these repressive regimes in the process!

    Sociologist
    Sociologist
    12 years ago

    A remarkable Kibbutz. Everyone should visit.

    jlq3d3
    jlq3d3
    12 years ago

    45 cents a kilowatt is 5 times what we pay for electricity in the US. It is very expensive.

    12 years ago

    Gevaldig! That’s the only way to exterminate terrorism! We need to push this idea here in the USA!