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Lands Admininstration to go green with renewable energy By Avi Bar-Eli, TheMarker Correspondent Tags: ILA, Israel, environment Renewable energy in Israel is receiving a major boost: The Israel Lands Administration (ILA) will grant a partial, or even full exemption from leasing fees for land used for generating 'green' electricity. The full exemption will apply to land allocated for renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines or solar panels, in areas near the northern and Gaza borders - so-called confrontation-line regions. For regions in the periphery defined as National Priority A, the fees will be only 31% of the regular amount, and 51% in areas defined as National Priority B. The decision is not just lip service to environmental causes, but will have a significant monetary effect for the state, as the state coffers will now be forfeiting millions of shekels a year. However, the reduced rates may alter the calculations and make more investments in renewable energy in the periphery worthwhile. Advertisement The move will have particular importance for the solar energy projects planned for the Negev and Arava deserts in the south, most of which are in areas of national priority. It will also have significant effects on electricity-generating projects along the northern border, many of which are based on pumping water up to elevated reservoirs at night when electricity is cheap, and then using the water to generate electricity during peak hours by letting it flow downward and turn generating turbines. Electra has planned such a project near Manara in the north at an investment of NIS 1 billion. The decisions were reached in a meeting this week between National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, his director general Yechezkel (Chezie) Kugler, ILA Director General Yaron Bibi and other ILA officials. The ILA agreed in principle to Ben-Eliezer's request to join the effort to provide incentives for renewable energy projects, despite the loss of revenue involved. The ILA's governing council will be asked to officially approve the list of benefits next week. Only a month ago, the council decided to charge the full fees - 91% of the value of the land - for such renewable energy projects, a decision met with shock from all sides involved in the energy sector and other parts of the government. The decision had huge financial implications for such energy projects, particularly for solar and wind plants that demand large tracts of land. As a result, Ben-Eliezer asked to reconsider the decision. Installing solar panel arrays or wind turbines on buildings will also be exempted from the ILA's land usage fees, as long as the total annual power generated is no larger than the amount of electricity used by the owners. This is particularly good news for moshavim and kibbutzim, many of whom are in the process of signing huge contracts to install large solar arrays on the roofs of their houses and other buildings, in an effort to provide incentives for the communities to become self-sufficient in terms of energy. In addition, the ILA decided a month ago to consider only 10% of agricultural land used for renewable energy projects as industrial land, which carries higher fees. Bookmark to del.icio.us   World War III A top Iranian general says an attack on Tehran would ignite a 'world war'. Raising the price Hamas says won't compromise, Israel must free 1,000 prisoners for Shalit.

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