US and Israel ink amendment to energy deal

The Energy ministers of Israel and USA have signed an amendment to an existing agreement between the US Department of Energy (DoE) and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure that will further enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement recognizes the importance of developing advanced energy and energy – water nexus technologies for attaining energy and water resource security while preserving the environment, improving energy efficiency and diversifying the energy supply.

It expands on the existing cooperation regarding the research, development, and demonstration of advanced energy technologies and energy-water nexus technologies.

Ernest Moniz, US Energy Secretary, said: “The US and Israel will continue to foster research and development, drive down the costs of clean energy technologies and encourage collaboration between our nations’ top energy scientists.”

The agreement expands cooperative efforts between the parties for exploration, production, and distribution technologies for fossil and alternative fuels, research and development for natural gas, transmission, distribution, and smart grid technologies, water desalination and treatment facilities, and physical and cyber protection of energy and water infrastructure.

The agreement additionally encourages collaboration between Israeli energy researchers at US Department of Energy National Laboratories.