The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is to present a new National Strategic Plan for Renewable Energy to the president and his climate forum on Wednesday.

Published for public comment until June 18, it sets a target of 26 Gigawatts of installed renewable energy, most of it solar, by 2035. Of that figure, just 8 Gigawatts have been installed to date, with a further 4 Gigawatts under construction.

By the end of last year, only 16% of the nation’s electricity came from renewables, missing the 20% target for 2025 and placing Israel second-to-last in the OECD ranking for renewable production. The national goal for 2030 is 30%.

The report says that while there is ample technical potential (25 Gigawatts) and no shortage of willing entrepreneurs with approved plans, the main problem is not a lack of interest—it is the electricity grid itself. It has run out of room.

The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has secured a NIS 40-billion ($14 billion) loan, repayable over 45 years, to finance grid expansion through 2030.

Full implementation will enable the grid to accommodate enough additional power to meet the 30% target by the end of the decade, or a couple of years beyond that.

But time-consuming planning, complex regulations, and other issues could........

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