ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief sketch of the main features of Israel’s energy sector, its vulnerabilities, and how the discovery of natural gas is changing the character of the nation’s energy consumption. Even as the quick adoption of natural gas alleviates the need for imported fossil fuels, dependence on imported coal and oil to meet supplies in power generation and transportation, respectively, remains strong. However, energy mix is changing steadily as natural gas substitutes coal and oil in the Israel economy. Natural gas is increasingly becoming a fuel of choice in electricity production and its share in the total primary energy supply was a significant 33 percent in 2017. In recent years, while renewable energy has inputted the primary energy mix, its share remains minuscule, though Israel is considered a leader in renewable energy technology. Nonetheless, the nation’s current targets for producing electricity from renewable sources are 10 percent by 2020, 13 percent by 2025, and 17 percent by 2030. Israel emphasises reliability and affordability of supply, as well as diversification for energy supply security. Ensuring non-dependence on a single source or a particular type of energy has led to the development of dynamic gas industry and the emergence of a growing renewable sector, especially that of solar energy.
