At the 2026 Energy Summit of the Israeli Institute of Energy and Environment, held on June 16 under the theme “Resilience, Independence and Regional Future,” senior officials and industry executives gathered to discuss how Israel can secure reliable power in both routine and emergency conditions. Participants included Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Chevron’s East Mediterranean chief Jack Baker, Energy Ministry director general Yossi Dayan, Electricity Authority chairman Amir Shavit, Israel Electric Corporation CEO Meir Spiegler, and top executives from major energy companies.
Institute chairman Yossi Rozen said energy is essential to “existence and growth,” and warned that electricity demand will be much higher in 10 years. Cohen said the government intends to use the energy sector as a growth engine, with investments worth tens of millions of dollars, and noted that Israel has allocated many gigawatts for data storage in the country, including for AI applications.
Huckabee said Israel has “plenty of energy,” not only for itself but for the whole region, and argued that energy exports can make neighbors less likely to view Israel as an enemy. Baker said Chevron’s discoveries have benefited both Israel and the region. Spiegler criticized planning and licensing delays, saying they come from bureaucracy and regulation, not from IEC, and insisted the company must remain a central player. He said IEC generated about 47% of Israel’s electricity during the war and connected about 1.3 gigawatts of renewable energy in the past year.
Industry leaders said demand is rising by 3% to 3.5% a year, driven in part by data centers and the need for new gas-fired plants and more renewables. OPC CEO Giora Almog said renewable share is about 15%, versus a 30% target, while Karen Barak said private producers now generate 60% of Israel’s electricity efficiently and competitively. Shavit and Doral Israel CEO Ofer Sotvy said the system proved resilient during wartime and kept power flowing despite repeated incidents.
Enlight CEO Adi Levitin said the biggest challenge is energy diversification, especially because emergencies may cut off gas supplies and fuel imports. Rozen concluded that in a decade Israel should rely on existing and renewable sources, possibly even a nuclear plant if authorized, and will need 35% to 40% more electricity.
