Europeans seeking $100 million investment in West Bank power grid
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 3, 2009
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In one of the largest investments ever in West Bank infrastructure, Israel
is in the initial stages of approving a request by the European Investment
Bank (EIB) to construct four sub power plants in the territories at a cost
of over $100 million.

Last week, officials from the IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in
the Territories, the Israel Electric Corporation and the Ministry of
National Infrastructures met to discuss the EIB request to construct four
new sub-power plants throughout the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Energy has also begun floating the
idea of the construction of an independent power plant in the West Bank near
Nablus. A power plan already exists in the Gaza Strip. Last week, the IDF
facilitated the transfer of large turbine engines into Gaza after they
underwent repairs in Europe.
Palestinian towns in the West Bank currently receive electricity from
Israeli power plants, which then transfer the power to five sub-stations in
the territories. The additional sub stations would dramatically increase the
power supply to the West Bank, a continuously growing consumer of
electricity due to the growing economy.

According to officials involved in the planning, the new sub-stations will
provide enough power to supply electricity to an industrial zone under
planning near Jenin as well as the new Palestinian city Rawabi, planned near
Ramallah.