West Bank takes charge of electricity, ending Israeli control
Under a recent deal reached between the Palestinian Authority and the state-owned Israel Electric Corp., Israel will no longer control electricity distribution to the West Bank.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) have reached a deal worth $775 million in which the PA will control delivery of electricity to the West Bank.
Under the 15-year agreement reached May 1, state-owned Israel Electric Corp. (IEC) will sell electricity wholesale to Palestinian Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd. (PETL) through four high-voltage power plants that will be built by the PA and IEC. PETL will own the plants and distribute electricity to the West Bank.
Israel has supplied the West Bank’s electricity since 1967 through private Palestinian distribution companies obtaining electricity from IEC directly, or through local municipalities via 250 Israeli-owned nodes affiliated with IEC.
Under the agreement, the PA will pay off a debt of 915 million Israeli shekels (about $255 million) to IEC.
