Israel’s development quota for PV projects has increased by 290MW, after quotas for concentrated solar power (CSP) and wind farm projects were shifted to solar PV.
The country’s Ministerial Committee for Promoting Renewable Energy made the decision based on the relatively lower cost and greater ease of developing PV installations compared to the other sources.
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In total, 200MW of CSP had been planned, along with 70MW of large scale wind and 20MW of small scale wind power. According to the ministerial committee, over the next 20 years, ILS2 billion ($566 million) could be saved by shifting the quota to PV plants.
Israel has a target in place of generating 10% of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. The Jerusalem Post reported that the committee also believes the quota shift will make this target more readily achievable.
The move has a recent precedent, with 300MW similarly shifted in late 2012 from wind energy to solar.
Also, according to the Jerusalem Post, debts owed by developers of projects in the disputed West Bank territories will be underwritten by the state, due to the unwillingness of private institutions to provide financing once long-term political instability and other factors have been taken into account.