US Approves $20 Million Annual Grant For Joint US/Israel Renewable Energy Projects
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08. 4.06
Have an idea for a renewable energy project and daring enough to travel to the Middle East? A new renewable energy grant supplied by the US has been approved to co-fund burgeoning renewable energy projects between Israelis and Americans. The bill for the fund was passed in Congress July 26 and will be supplied in annual installments of a not-so-measly $20 million a year. The name? The Bipartisan United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act (HR 2730). It will be available to alternative energy contenders operating as private companies, in universities or research labs. ::Newsblaze
According to this report there are more than 200 Israeli companies which have developed or are developing environmental or energy-related technology. From 1984 to 1991, Israeli companies have built nine solar plants in southern California- all of which are still in operation today. The plants provide the energy equivalent of two million barrels of oil each year and supply electricity to millions of Americans. In Nevada, continues the report, an American and Israeli company are working together to build one of the largest solar plants in the world.
After the bill was passed by the House Energy Committee, rep. Brad Sherman said, "Cutting-edge research by top scientists from the United States and Israel could hold the key to reducing our reliance on foreign oil. We must promote efficient use of traditional energy sources as well as research into alternative energy sources."
See the first in a series of renewable energy articles from Israel21c.
I suggest we give the Iraqi's microgenerator wind turbines. Given the lack luster power production, I'm sure they'd appreciate something they can tinker with at the local level (who knows, maybe some plucky Iraqi will come up with an improved design the rest of us can use!)