US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz has signed a coalition deal with Israel to further improve technologies in clean energy. Picture: EPA/Shawn Thew US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz has signed a coalition deal with Israel to further improve technologies in clean energy. Picture: EPA/Shawn Thew
Washington DC - US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources signed an amendment to strengthen a cooperative energy agreement between the two countries, the US Department of Energy stated in a press release.
“Today, our nations further solidified our ongoing cooperation,” Moniz said of the new agreement. “The United States 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 specifically encourages bilateral cooperation between the United States and Israel on alternative energy technology; natural gas research and development; water desalination and treatment facilities; and “cyber protection of energy and water infrastructure,” the release explained.
Last month, a bilateral coalition in the US House of Representatives asked the House Appropriations Committee to allocate an additional $2 million for the US-Israel Cooperative Energy Program.
As part of that program, every dollar allocated by the US Congress for bilateral energy projects is matched twice: first by the Israeli government and again by private companies.
The United States and Israel have together donated more than $23.4m for Israeli energy projects since 2008; private groups have contributed an additional $27m, according to media reports.
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