Israel’s Cabinet decided Oct. 25 to increase the production of electricity from renewable resources by 13% by the year 2030. The Cabinet adopted a proposal put up by the Ministry of Energy for increasing the share of renewable energies from 17% to 30%, rejecting demands by the Ministry for Environmental Protection to set the 2030 goal at 40%.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz predicted that the transition to cleaner energies could save the economy more than $2 billion annually. He described the new 30% goal as "ambitious and a real revolution," noting that the remaining 70% of Israel’s energy needs will need to be met by natural gas. As a reminder, Israel had discovered some 10 years ago enormous reserves of natural gas, off the country’s Mediterranean coast.
