(Washington, D.C.) The United States Department of Energy and the Israeli Energy Ministry recently signed the Implementation Agreement to establish the U.S.-Israel Center of Excellence in Energy, Engineering and Water Technology (“the Center”).

In March 2018 the United States Congress appropriated $4 million in the Department of Energy budget to establish the Center for joint research and development with Israel. This sum will be matched by the Israeli government as well as by private sector partners, for a total targeted initial sum of $16 million dedicated to this project.

The Implementing Agreement provides the foundation for the establishment of the Center, which aims to accelerate development and more rapid deployment of critical and innovative technologies for fossil energy, energy cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, the energy-water nexus, energy storage, and other areas of energy that are needed to diversify energy supply and promote higher efficiency.

Further areas of collaboration include: additional R&D cooperation, technology transfer best practices from academic institutions and National Laboratories for application by industry in the United States and Israel, workforce training and educational programs, as well as student and postdoctoral exchange.

The Center’s activity will be separate from, and in addition to, that of the BIRD Energy program, which has been active since 2009.

The Center is a meaningful strengthening of the cooperation between the United States and Israel in the field of energy and will provide the foundation for further strengthening of this relationship in the future.

Click here to view the full agreement: US / Israel Energy Center Agreement

Photo credit: Shmulik Almany.