First-Ever Bedouin Commercial Solar Field Licensed
Negev’s Bedouin community marks milestone as Arava Power Company approves quota for solar energy production.
The Public Utility Authority (PUA) granted the Bedouin community in the Negev a license for a photovoltaic installation. This is the first license given in Israel for a solar project involving the Bedouin community.
The $30 million installation will be established on private land and some 80% of the costs will be funded by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) of the US government.
“This is a dream come true for the Bedouin population. Solar energy will create jobs for Bedouins in the Negev,” a community leader said.
The Bedouin’s problem is one of cultural integration. That is, they have their own customs, and have had these customs for centuries, possibly millennia. The downside is that keeping these customs almost certainly condemns them to crushing poverty. Now, Israel gets energy, the Bedouins get income—while keeping their culture intact.