Following a hearing session with the stakeholders on transparency and integrity in the procedures and standards adopted in connecting renewable energy projects,
AMAN Coalition calls for unified efforts toward a comprehensive national plan to ensure good governance, achieve energy independence, and prevent the occupation from controlling electricity and using it as a weapon against the Palestinian people
Ramallah — The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) held a hearing session entitled "Transparency and Integrity in the Procedures and Standards Adopted in Connecting Renewable Energy Projects", with the participation of official representatives including relevant ministries and the Energy Authority. It also included representatives of the Palestine Investment Fund, the National Electricity Transmission Company, the private sector, the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau, in addition to several journalists and public affairs specialists. However, although invited, the Ministry of Local Government and the Electricity Regulatory Council did not attend.
The session aimed to open an in-depth discussion with all stakeholders- including officials, investors, and consumers- to better understand the challenges hindering the connection of renewable energy projects, and to explore possible solutions to ensure the implementation of public policy and advance the shift toward broader use of clean energy in Palestine.
Hama Zidan, Director of Operations at AMAN, opened the session, and emphasized that organizing this forum comes as part of AMAN’s growing focus on the renewable energy sector. She noted that AMAN’s Center for Advocacy and Legal Advice Center (ALAC) has recently received an increasing number of complaints from investors and citizens facing challenges in connecting to alternative energy sources, whether for personal use or private enterprises. Zidan explained that some distributors claim that the networks cannot handle additional loads without conducting proper technical studies, and that hybrid (off-grid) energy projects, which do not require connection to the grid, are sometimes rejected as well. She also pointed to concerns that some distributors may be seeking to protect their own financial interests or compete with investors over the profits of renewable energy projects.
Zidan stressed that AMAN views the renewable energy sector as a national priority directly related to achieving Palestinian energy security, especially given the near-total reliance on electricity supplied by the occupying power. She emphasized that renewable energy is a cornerstone for strengthening national independence and reducing dependence on the occupation, while also contributing to lowering net lending costs, protecting the environment, and promoting local manufacturing and the use of energy-efficient appliances.
Political and Technical Challenges Facing the Renewable Energy Sector in Palestine
Engineer Nidal Abu Al-Rub, Director of the Research and Studies Department at the Energy Authority, spoke about the political and technical obstacles facing renewable energy projects. Among the most pressing challenges, he noted, is the classification of 60% of the West Bank as “Area C,” where investment is prohibited, as well as the destruction of infrastructure in Gaza due to the ongoing war. He also pointed to regulatory challenges, particularly the lack of technical and legislative expertise among local authorities, which distribute about 30% of the electricity in the West Bank.
He emphasized the need to activate investor guarantee tools, especially in the absence of government guarantees due to limited resources. He pointed out that new initiatives are underway in cooperation with the World Bank and the Belgian Development Agency. He concluded by stressing that further development of technical capacities and infrastructure remains essential, particularly in areas such as energy storage, smart grids, and local laboratories for equipment quality testing.
Solar energy in Palestine: Investigative report uncovers connection barriers and lack of transparency
During the session, journalist Ansar Tmeizeh spoke about her experience preparing an investigative report on the obstacles facing solar energy projects in Palestine, titled "Electricity distribution companies obstruct solar energy projects in the West Bank," with support from the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism network (ARIJ). She emphasized the importance of fostering media discussions on such critical issues, stressing that serious engagement with investigative reports strengthens the role of the media in influencing policy and holding relevant authorities accountable.
Tmeizeh noted that her investigation documented multiple obstacles facing solar energy projects, which make up the largest share of renewable energy initiatives in Palestine, especially under the occupation’s control of natural resources. The report focused on affected cases where electricity distribution companies and local authorities rejected requests to connect solar projects to the grid. Officials attributed the refusal to technical and administrative reasons, such as reduced company revenues due to these projects and limitations on the grid’s capacity to absorb additional energy.
Tmeizeh also addressed the issue of local authorities that distribute electricity in the West Bank, pointing out that 90% of them have no studies assessing their power system’s capacity to handle new projects, yet still reject many connection requests. Only 10% have conducted such studies. This situation highlights a serious flaw in the way citizen requests are evaluated and responded to.
In a final comment, she pointed to the inconsistency in addressing connection projects: while the occupying authorities obligate Jerusalem District Electricity Company to connect solar energy projects in areas under Israeli municipal control, no similar obligation exists in areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, although the law is supposed to guarantee this right. She argued that this reality reflects a lack of serious political will to implement policies that support energy independence.
Lack of transparency and integrity in project allocation without clear standards
In his remarks at the session, Dr. Hassan Abu Libdeh, representative of the Investors’ Union, stated that the renewable energy sector has the greatest potential to break the dependency on the occupation. Unfortunately, however, it remains under the near-total control of electricity distribution companies, which are hindering the sector’s development because of conflicts with their own financial interests. He pointed out that these companies view the spread of solar energy as a threat to their guaranteed profits, even though they do not actually incur losses; instead, they operate under a pricing system that secures them a fixed margin of profits.
Abu Libdeh sharply criticized the lack of transparency and the unknown capacity of the electricity networks, pointing out that such a situation is unacceptable in 2025. He argued that the official bodies responsible, such as the Electricity Sector Regulatory Council and the Energy Authority, lack both the tools and the seriousness needed to enforce proper regulation. He also criticized the Ministry of Local Government for ignoring violations by local authorities, which behave with coercion with citizens and investors without real oversight.
He stressed that the barriers imposed are not technical or related to competence, but rather stem from the absence of genuine political and administrative will within the PA to compel distribution entities to comply. He further noted that even the Palestinian Investment Fund, despite its sovereign status, faced significant delays and obstacles in executing projects — a reality that highlights the scale of challenges faced even by the country’s strongest investors.
Abu Libdeh stressed that claims about limited grid capacity are not being followed by any real accountability for violators, while citizens continue to face repeated rejections when trying to upgrade or expand solar energy systems in their homes. He shared a personal experience of attempting to improve the efficiency of his solar panels, only to encounter an arbitrary administrative decision limiting any upgrade to just 10%, despite no change in the available space or type of usage.
He also pointed to suspicions of administrative and financial corruption, as well as a lack of transparency in how projects are distributed- particularly in rural areas, where shares are allocated to certain investors over others without clear or consistent standards. He called for a bold national plan to install the maximum possible number of solar projects within a short timeframe-not exceeding three years-instead of setting minimal, incremental megawatt targets.
Finally, Abu Libdeh emphasized that, despite the many challenges, the renewable energy sector does not require foreign aid or sovereign guarantees. Rather, it needs genuine empowerment of local investors and a firm political will to advance energy independence. He described the energy sector as a critical and inevitable path toward achieving both political and economic independence from the occupation, asserting that every kilowatt produced locally is a tangible step toward freedom from dependency.
Recommendations of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau Report: The need for a national plan to increase reliance on renewable energy sources
Majdi Mitani emphasized that the 2020 report issued by the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) uncovered several issues in Palestine’s renewable energy support policies, most notably that government measures to promote investment in this sector have not been effective in significantly boosting reliance on renewable energy sources.
He pointed out poor coordination among the stakeholders, which led to scattered efforts and a lack of follow-up on targets.
Mitani also pointed out that the report identified a general weak effectiveness of institutions responsible for supporting renewable energy, as well as a neglect of alternative sources beyond solar energy — such as waste-to-energy and biogas — creating a noticeable gap in the diversity of sustainable energy options.
Regarding the recommendations, Mitani called for studying the reasons behind the underutilization of alternative energy sources beyond solar, and for developing a realistic national plan to tap into these resources. He stressed the need to reconsider government policies related to tax incentives, pricing, and registration mechanisms for renewable energy projects.
Furthermore, he urged speeding up the creation of a unified and comprehensive database for renewable energy projects to facilitate follow-up and enhance transparency.
Mitani emphasized the importance of activating the role of the National Electricity Transmission Company and regulating the work of distribution companies by officially licensing them, to ensure improved performance and fairness in service delivery. He also called for finding practical solutions to the problems posed by local authorities that obstruct energy enterprises, especially amid the lack of clear technical and regulatory standards.
Mitani added that, in the absence of a Legislative Council, SAACB now decides to publish its reports based on their national significance. He explained that the renewable energy report was published in full, without any omissions, on the Bureau’s website, "out of our belief in the importance of this issue and the need for the government to prioritize it seriously." He also noted that ongoing communication with the government is taking place through a reform committee aimed at ensuring that this critical file receives the attention it deserves in the upcoming phase.
Solar Energy Units: A necessity, not a Luxury, for Palestine under occupation
Engineer Issam Abu Khaizaran from COWATER Company emphasized that solar energy units are not a luxury or an optional addition, but have become a strategic necessity for ensuring electricity stability, particularly for village councils and local companies. He pointed out that there are missed opportunities for local communities that could accommodate additional megawatts.
Abu Khaizaran called for promoting a culture of regular annual planning, where local engineers could prepare periodic studies to determine the actual grid capacity in each neighborhood and area. This would enable the safe expansion of solar energy projects.
The Renewable Energy Industries Union was not involved in drafting the National Renewable Energy Plan
Abdul Rahman Hijjawi, board member of the Renewable Energy Industries Union, pointed out that the debts accumulated by Palestinians largely stem from electricity costs and represent a major portion of the Israeli deductions from clearance revenues. He added that Israeli electricity companies have already started reducing the supply of electricity to some Palestinian areas, particularly during the ongoing genocidal war, posing a serious threat to the stability of vital sectors. Hijjawi explained that the Palestinian private sector faces severe challenges in competiveness, especially with uncontrolled entry of foreign products to the market, while Palestinian manufacturers are forced to bear electricity costs three times higher than what their regional competitors pay.
Hijjawi praised the existence of a national renewable energy plan but noted that the plan lacks clarity in some standards and procedures, and that the Union was not directly involved in its drafting, despite the fact that its implementation relies heavily on the private sector.
He emphasized the need for clear mechanisms to finance projects, especially since investments in this sector require a stable regulatory and legislative environment, along with genuine government assurances.
Finally, Hijjawi pointed out that in 2015, the Palestinian president issued legislation promoting the development of renewable energy and facilitating grid connection, followed by several laws. However, these laws failed to address core challenges, such as the effective implementation of the "net metering" system. Despite these laws, electricity companies continued to impose price increases and obstruct solar energy projects — even at the height of the war.
Weak energy legislations and mechanisms of accountability and oversight
Basil Abdel Jawad, representative of the Palestinian Transmission Company, pointed out that the company, which was established in 2013 and started operations at the end of 2015, has faced regulatory obstacles since 2020, when a government decision prevented it from contracting directly with renewable energy producers. Despite the law being amended in 2023, the amendments did not grant the company broad enough powers, which slowed the process of connecting renewable energy projects to the grid.
In his remarks, Abdel Jawad mentioned that while the private sector is fast and efficient, it is not without responsibility. Most investors have focused on profit without monitoring the laws or lobbying for their development. On the other hand, government institutions have not been able to keep up with this progress and have failed to put in place systems and legislations that promote investment and ensure a balance of interests among all parties.
He also criticized the implementation of the "net metering" system, which has been amended multiple times without achieving a fair profit equation for all parties, emphasizing that this confusion has discouraged investors. Abdel Jawad considered the Israeli occupation to be a significant structural obstacle due to the limited capacity of the connection points that supply the West Bank with electricity, which restricts the possibility of introducing renewable energy into the grid.
Finally, he stressed the importance of enacting clear and fair legislation concerning energy storage projects, adding that delays in this regard shall urge investors towards "disconnecting from the grid," which threatens the sustainability of the Palestinian electricity system. He said, "The citizen who invests in generating electricity from solar energy alleviates a significant financial burden on the state, and we should salute them instead of hindering their projects."
Shu’aibi: A Participatory national plan shall alleviate overlapping roles, ensure accountability and eliminate conflict of interests
Dr. Azmi Shu’aibi, advisor to AMAN Board of Directors for anti-corruption affairs, commented that the current situation in the energy sector highlights the level of confusion, although everyone acknowledges that this phase represents a real opportunity to develop the electricity system. He warned that it could turn into a burden due to poor coordination and weak monitoring.
Shu’aibi concluded by emphasizing the need for a participatory national plan involving all stakeholders, executive and regulatory institutions, distributors, and investors. He stressed the importance of coordination between all stakeholders to avoid overlapping roles, ensure accountability, and eliminate conflict of interests, which could obstruct progress in the absence of proper regulation.
