Ministers approve 'kosher electricity' facility: to be built in B'nai within weeks

7 May 2023   

The Israeli government approved today (Sunday) the first phase of the national plan for energy storage in urban areas led by the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, MK Yisrael Katz: the construction of an electricity storage facility in Bnei Brak. The Hiloula: This is everything you need to know before traveling to Meron This is an initial pilot alongside the promotion of larger electricity storage facilities in the north of the country in the future. The estimated cost of building the storage facility is 100 million shekels. The expectation is that the Electric Company will recoup its investment relatively quickly, thanks to the electricity production and the sale of the facility after 3 years. According to the plan, the construction of the storage facility in Bnei Brak is scheduled to begin immediately after approval by the government, and its construction is scheduled to take a few weeks. According to the Ministry of Energy, the plan - which is part of a broad national storage policy promoted by Minister Katz - will accelerate the construction of electricity production and energy storage facilities in cities, and connect them to the public distribution network in dense urban areas - for the benefit of the entire public in Israel. Minister of Energy and Infrastructure: "I thank the Prime Minister and my fellow ministers for approving a central part of the national energy storage plan. There is no reason why wherever there is electricity consumption, there should not also be an efficient and advanced electricity network based on storage. The vision that I am promoting will in the future enable the absorption and storage of electricity produced from renewable energies throughout the country, and its transmission to demand centers during consumption hours - as part of the effort to meet the renewable energy goals to which we have committed." The Minister emphasized: "Contrary to the erroneous claims that are being spread, the electricity rate will not increase, competition in the economy will be maintained, and the general public in Israel will finally be able to consume electricity that is not produced on Shabbat - without this posing a safety hazard or serious environmental damage to them. As I said before, in the eyes of the ultra-Orthodox, the act is 'not kosher,' but in my eyes this is an example of a creative solution that can harness advanced technology for a shared life together." The Ministry of Energy explains that in recent years the need for energy storage in the electricity sector has increased significantly, the desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to renewable energies, which are usually not available 24 hours a day and are not stable, and the desire to switch to electricity-based transportation, together with the demand for 'kosher electricity,' reinforce the need to expand the use of energy storage and its promotion. Storing electrical energy will be one of the means that will enable the expansion of electricity production from renewable energies in Israel. Alongside this, there are populations in Israel who are interested in consuming 'kosher electricity,' which is not produced on Shabbat. Today, some of these populations supply themselves with electricity using generators that pose a major safety hazard to users, are expensive, and also cause environmental pollution. In light of the development The technology of storage facilities and their cost reduction, there is an opportunity to provide a suitable alternative solution that will meet the special needs of this population, especially since this solution is safer and cleaner. The government's decision will allow the electricity company to establish a pilot facility for 'kosher electricity', which will allow the market and regulators to actually examine the technological feasibility and the mechanism required in the distribution network for the operation of 'kosher electricity'. In order to ensure that competition in the economy is maintained, the electricity company will sell the facility that it will establish as part of the pilot to the private market within three years. In general, the pilot facility will constitute a small percentage of the expected storage volume in Israel, since in the coming years, storage facilities with a capacity of hundreds of megawatts are expected to be established, which will be carried out by the private sector. According to the decision, which is at the discretion of all professional bodies, the Electricity Authority will formulate the horizontal regulation for 'kosher electricity' and the pilot of the electricity company, so that there will be no increase in the electricity tariff as a result of moves These. Deputy Minister Uri Maklev, upon leaving the government meeting during which the decision was approved, said: "The national energy storage plan that is now being approved is an economic plan that the Haredi authority has been required to implement since its establishment, given its importance and scope for the benefit of the public in general and for the Haredi public in particular. "This plan has a number of advantages, as we have presented, in terms of safety, economy, and environment - and it will contribute to lowering the cost of living. This is not a private initiative, but local authorities are behind it. "This is progressing due to the urgency of Energy Minister Israel Katz, together with Finance Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni - who are behind this proposal." MK Yaakov Asher: "A welcome decision that symbolizes how it is possible to create effective cooperation that will contribute to both the electricity sector, the environment, and Sabbath-observant consumers. "For many years, my friends and I from the Degel Hatorah faction have been working to advance the outline step by step, in front of government ministries and in Knesset committees, with the demand also being expressed in the current coalition agreement. I congratulate Degel Hatorah Chairman Rabbi Moshe Gafni for bringing about the final approval of the decision, and Minister Israel Katz and the CEO of the Electric Company Meir Spiegler for working diligently on the government's decision without fear.".