Defense Ministry ends Golan wind farm opposition

Sources inform ''Globes'' that the Ministry of Defense has lifted its opposition to the construction of wind farms on the Golan Heights at the request of Minister of National Infrastructures Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.

Ben-Eliezer asked Minister of Defense Ehud Barak to intervene in the matter, after the IDF unofficially declared its opposition to planned wind farms on the Golan.

The Golan Heights is considered one of the best locations from the point of view of economic viability for wind farms for the generation of electricity. The Ministry of National Infrastructures was worried that if the Ministry of Defense did not change its position, some of the planned wind farms on the Golan would not be built for years.

Mei Golan Wind Energy Development (1988) Ltd., which is in talks to create a partnership with AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), is planning the largest wind farm project on the Golan, a 400-megawatt project of 20 wind farms.

A few months ago, the Public Utilities Authority (Electricity) extended Mei Golan's conditional license to produce electricity by another year, while the company pursues its negotiations with AES. Mei Golan is also in talks to buy land for the placement of the wind turbines.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 2, 2009

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