Al Marsad, a core member of the Climate Justice Consortium, assembled a team of Gaza-based researchers to produce policy papers aimed at documenting the impacts of the genocide, as well as offer recommendations for potential short to long-term interventions that can help facilitate recovery and reconstruction. Marsad’s October edition featured an article by Gaza engineer Abdullah Al-Kurdi: Gaza’s Electricity Crisis: The Occupation Cannot Block Out the Sun. The article highlights the potential to rebuild Gaza’s electricity sector in a more sustainable manner, starting with relying on the sun, “...the sole energy source that remains untouchable by the occupation.”
The scale of infrastructure destruction throughout the course of the genocide has been widely documented, and the electricity sector is no exception. Thousands of kilometers of voltage lines, over a hundred ground distribution substations, warehouses with vital equipment, machinery, and other vital components of Gaza’s energy infrastructure have been destroyed. This destruction has not only resulted in enormous financial loss but has severely impacted the ability for hospitals and essential service providers to operate. Israel’s power cuts and blockade on fuel imports have made matters worse as costs for solar panels skyrocketed due to increased demand. With the failure of refrigeration systems, residents lost critical food supplies and medications that require refrigeration. Damaged electric grids also limited access to clean water, as water pumps and treatment plants were no longer able to operate. With no alternatives, civilians began relying on candles and oil lamps, increasing the risk of fires. Damaged solar panels and old batteries provide a temporary solution, while increasing exposure to toxic gases.
In the face of these enormous challenges, Al-Kurdi explores potential solutions to rebuild Gaza’s energy sector in a more efficient and sustainable way. He outlines a path forward, which hinges on a combination of relying on natural resources and collaborating with neighboring countries to fill remaining gaps. Palestine boasts over 300 sunny days a year, making sunlight a reliable energy source which should be exploited. Solar energy projects have proven successful when implemented through microgrid systems or in factories. Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis and processes such as seawater desalination, offers the potential to improve electricity storage and energy transport. Renewable energy projects paired with integrating local grids with regional networks, such as those in Egypt, can ensure grid stability and reliability. Creative and forward-thinking solutions that promote the independence of Gaza’s energy sector are key to rebuilding and ensuring everyone has access to electricity.
About Al Marsad
Al Marsad, the Social and Economic Policies Monitor, aims to protect the rights of the most marginalized Palestinians through the prism of analysis and monitoring of social and economic policies in Palestine.