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.