← Back to lessons

Energy & Environment

Lesson 139 · אֵנֵרְגְיָה וְסְבִיבָה

Israel was energy-poor for decades, coal and imported oil. The 2009 discovery of the Tamar gas field (off Haifa) and 2010 Leviathan changed everything. Israel now exports gas to Egypt and Jordan. Solar penetration is high (~17% of electricity). The Israel Electric Corporation (חַח"י) is the historic monopoly. Water, desalination, reuse, Israel pioneered the modern toolkit.

Cultural note, "מַתְמוֹן הַגַּז" (the gas treasure) is a politically charged phrase. Royalty rates for gas have been hotly debated since 2010. Sovereign wealth fund (קֶרֶן הַמַּטְמוֹן הַלְּאֻמִּי), Israel\'s small fund holding gas revenues, was created in 2014 but disbursements are politically contentious. The Mediterranean is the energy frontier.

Electricity & The Grid

Natural Gas (The Game-Changer)

Renewables

Water: Desalination & Reuse

Environment & Climate


Tamar Gas Field: News-Style Hebrew

Background-style Hebrew on the Tamar field. Discovery in 2009 and operations since 2013 transformed Israeli energy economics.

Climate Activism in Tel Aviv: Protest Sign Vocabulary

Climate protests are growing. Vocabulary you\'ll see on signs at Friday afternoon climate strikes outside the Knesset.