Electricity in the Air: After a Jubilee of Fault - Master Plan for Power Supply for Jews and Palestinians • Minister of Energy Steinitz: "Will lead to significant improvement in electricity supply throughout Judea and Samaria"

• The infrastructure will be upgraded. Electric Company employee // Photo: Coco

For the first time since the Israeli settlement began in Judea and Samaria - the electricity company has formulated a master plan for long-term power supply in Judea and Samaria.

The plan was drafted under the direction of Energy Minister, Prof. Yuval Steinitz, about a year ago, following many years of supply failures and it became clear to him that until now the deployment of the electricity grid in the Judea and Samaria has been planned without planning.

"Everyone suffers from the condition." Yuval Steinitz // Photo: Dudi Vaaknin

According to the plan, the details of which came to Israel today, the network will benefit Israelis and Palestinians. The assumption of the work on which the plan is based is the continued Israeli responsibility for the Judea and Samaria until at least 2040. As a result, the time periods were divided into three periods: by 2025, two substations will be built for the Israeli population, and probably two for the Palestinian population. Subsequent to Israelis and a similar number to Palestinians. Over the next 30 years, more than 300 km of high-voltage transmission lines will be laid at the same time.

"Everyone suffers"

The plan was drawn up following needs indicated by the Israeli authorities in Judea and Samaria, who will be briefed by Steinitz on the outline in the coming days. Its cost is estimated at NIS 3-4 billion.

Minister Steinitz told Israel Today: "When I took office, it became clear that the state of the water and electricity infrastructure in Judea and Samaria was in bad shape, and that all of them - Jews and Arabs - were suffering from water outages and power supply problems. A master plan for the electricity sector in Judea and Samaria, which takes into account the increase in population and the growing needs of the local communities and residents. The plan will significantly improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply throughout Judea and Samaria. "

The Ministry of Energy emphasizes that the plan now does not have a political connection to Trump's outline or a political context for the election. According to sources in the ministry, the guidance for formulating the plan was given a long time ago, solely because of needs that have arisen from the field. They also emphasize that the plan examines, in the long term, the expectation of an increase in both the Jewish and Arab population and answers both.

The ministry also says that although the sub-stations will be Israeli, the responsibility for supplying them to the Palestinian consumer will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Infrastructure for renewable energy development projects (wind, solar) in Judea and Samaria will also be established. Among other things, sub-stations are planned in the Alfei Menashe area of ​​Samaria, Maale Ephraim in the Jordan Valley, Nablus and Beit Ola.