Palestinians Aim for More Power Independence With Solar Auction

Palestinians will take a step toward greater power independence by announcing terms of a solar-energy auction intended to boost installed capacity by as much as 100 megawatts.

Palestinian Energy Authority said it plans to auction permits to build 10 solar plants as large as 10 megawatts each, with winning bids awarded to developers pledging to generate the lowest cost electricity. The move could cut power purchased from Israel, which currently supplies about 95 percent of the territories’ electricity, according to the Office of the Quartet, an international organization trying to spur Palestinian economic development.

“Energy is one of the arms of independence,” said Fuad Amleh, director general of the Palestinian energy authority, in a telephone interview from Ramallah, adding that the auction could be announced within days. “If we have available energy, we can develop our economy and our industries.”

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