State Comptroller Warns Israel Could Lose Energy Independence Within Two Decades

State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman issued a sharp report criticizing the Energy Ministry and saying long-running failures in managing natural gas reserves and the liquefied petroleum gas sector could seriously damage Israel's long-term energy security. The report says natural gas reserves are expected to be exhausted by the early 2050s, while Israel currently has zero natural gas storage capacity.

At the start of the report, Engelman states plainly that within about 22 years, Israel's energy independence in electricity generation could be severely undermined. The report says that if nothing changes, the country will have to import natural gas or rely on other energy sources.

The warning is presented as having major consequences for Israeli consumers and for the state's ability to secure its future energy supply. The report frames the issue as a strategic failure in national energy planning that the ministry has not adequately addressed.