Warm response

In response to the reader’s letter “End of the Negev,” on September 4, may I make a few points:

The area of the Negev is approximately 13,000 sq. km., so locating alternative energy generating sites there is, at present, not a worry.

While the thermo-solar power unit referred to in “End of the Negev” is somewhat “land-hungry,” there is no reason to think the Israel Electric Authority will prioritize this type of facility. There are many non-carbon sources for generating electricity: tidal (wave) energy, biomass energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, biofuels, and hydroelectric and nuclear power.

While some of these are unavailable in Israel or have environmental drawbacks, their existence means that there is no need to use only “land-hungry” generating sources in Israel.

In 2008, the National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry and Geological Survey of Israel, commissioned a report on the geothermal resources of Israel. It noted that “The permeability and porosity of [the] Arad Group [at southern end of the Golan Heights] are high and therefore this location might be a potential geothermal site. We recommend further activity to confirm the new geothermal maps presented in the report including new field measurements in new and abandoned boreholes.”

To the best of my knowledge, this recommendation for further activity has so far not been followed up. However, the construction of the above-mentioned alternative energy projects indicates that there is now an innovative spirit in the Energy Ministry/IEC. Perhaps, therefore, we shall now see this recommendation for further activity taken up.

In this connection, it is interesting to note that Ormat Technologies, a company that has built more than 150 power plants (including geothermal plants), with an installed capacity of over 2,000 megawatts, was originally established in Yavne. GERRY MYERS Beit Zayit