Israel Panel Backs Expanded Natural Gas Output and New Export Markets

Israel's Energy Ministry has set out a plan to expand natural gas production, with an inter-ministerial committee headed by the ministry issuing final recommendations that were approved by the energy minister and the ministry's director general.

The panel framed higher output as necessary to meet domestic needs, draw investment and speed up the country's shift toward renewable energy. Israel has already established itself as a significant regional supplier of natural gas, with exports flowing to Egypt and Jordan.

Among the central proposals is a push to encourage investment in exploring and developing new gas reservoirs, both offshore and onshore, and to link them to the domestic market. The committee backed competitive bidding rounds for exploration and support for seismic and other survey work as ways to bring new fields forward.

The recommendations also call for an investment climate attractive enough to sustain a thriving sector, alongside measures to promote competition inside Israel so that prices remain stable.

On the external front, the panel proposed leveraging natural gas to strengthen Israel's international standing and to open new export markets, with the aim of capturing the maximum economic and geopolitical benefit from the country's resources.

At the same time, the committee stressed the need to safeguard the domestic economy by ensuring a gas supply that is highly available and reliable, and by reinforcing energy security during emergencies.