Electricity in Palestinian Territories in 2022

In 2022, the Palestinian Territories had a distinctive profile in terms of electricity consumption. More than 85% of their electricity came from net imports, which indicates a heavy reliance on external sources for their energy needs. The remaining domestic generation was primarily from fossil fuels, which accounted for roughly 10% of the electricity share, while low-carbon sources made up a very small fraction, with solar energy contributing nearly 3%. This distribution highlights a significant opportunity for the Palestinian Territories to transition towards more sustainable energy sources, reducing their dependency on imports and fossil fuels, and thus their vulnerability to external market fluctuations and the adverse environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel usage.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, the Palestinian Territories could look at expanding their solar energy capacity, given its existing presence and the region's sunny climate. Additionally, nuclear energy offers a potent opportunity to boost clean energy generation, learning from countries where nuclear power constitutes a significant share of electricity generation. For example, countries like France and Slovakia generate more than half of their electricity from nuclear, highlighting its potential for providing a stable, large-scale clean energy solution. Similarly, expanding wind energy, as seen in Denmark and Ireland where it constitutes around 33% to 59% of electricity generation, could significantly aid Palestinian Territories in achieving cleaner energy goals. Such a multi-faceted approach would help in diversifying the energy portfolio, increasing energy independence, and reducing the carbon footprint.

History

Historically, the growth of low-carbon electricity in the Palestinian Territories has been sluggish, particularly concerning solar energy. From 2015 to 2018, solar generation did not see any increase, indicating stagnation in development. However, in 2019 and 2020, there was a modest growth of 0.1 TWh, showcasing slight progress. Unfortunately, this upward trend did not continue in 2021 and 2022, where once again there were no additional increases in solar energy generation. This suggests that while there have been some efforts to incorporate solar power, consistently maintaining and enhancing solar capacity remains a challenge. Strategies to overcome these barriers could serve as a stepping stone towards achieving a more sustainable energy future.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources