With overreliance on natural gas, a lack of storage capacity, and excessive centralization in Israel’s electricity sector, it could lead to disruptions within the country during critical moments.
Israel may find itself in the dark during times of crisis, according to a newly published study warning that the country could find itself without electricity at critical sites during wartime.
The study, led by Dr. Erez Cohen from the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science at Ariel University, points to a series of serious vulnerabilities in Israel’s energy system and points out that with overreliance on natural gas, lack of storage capacity, and excessive centralization in Israel’s electricity sector.
The researchers claimed that Israel’s overdependence could lead to severe disruptions under current conditions.
Cohen also examined the resilience of Israel’s energy sector in times of security emergencies through a quantitative analysis of production and consumption data, combined with a qualitative review of policies and regulations from 2018–2024, using the most recent Gaza war as a “case study.”
The findings, he said, show that the country is not prepared for prolonged disruptions.
According to the study, published in the scientific journal Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy, Israel’s energy sector suffers from four main weaknesses.
View of an IDF tank in operation. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
What are four weaknesses plaguing Israel’s energy sector?
1. Overdependence on natural gas: About 70% of Israel’s electricity generation relies on offshore natural gas from the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields, which have no backup or strategic reserves. This dependency, Cohen argued, makes the system especially vulnerable to missile attacks, terrorism, or cyberattacks.
2. Supply-demand gap: The State Comptroller’s 2024 report warned that by 2026, there could be a shortage of natural gas for the electricity sector, potentially causing economic damage worth hundreds of millions of shekels.
3. Lack of storage capacity: Although Israel has reached roughly 12% of electricity generation from renewable energy sources, it has almost no storage systems to ensure supply continuity in times of crisis.
4. High centralization: The national grid remains highly centralized, so damage to a major power station or a single gas platform could cause widespread outages across the entire country.
Cohen describes an alarming scenario in which power, water, and hospital facilities could be left without energy during an emergency. “In the Gaza war, we saw how our dependence on natural gas made us vulnerable. Any malfunction or hit on a central facility could paralyze the entire economy at a critical moment,” he warned.
According to Cohen, solutions to this problem exist, but they require firm government action. He urged policymakers to move away from a centralized system that depends on a few offshore gas platforms and toward a more decentralized and flexible model.
“We need local microgrids that will allow critical areas, such as hospitals, water facilities, and remote communities, to keep operating even if the national grid collapses,” he said.
Cohen also stressed that Israel can no longer afford to delay investment in energy storage: “This isn’t an environmental luxury; it’s a national safety net. Without storage capacity, even renewable energy won’t save us in a moment of crisis.”
He emphasized that, alongside physical decentralization, Israel must establish a comprehensive digital and security defense network, and create a joint emergency coordination unit bringing together the defense establishment, the Energy Ministry, and the Cyber Authority to manage the electricity sector in real time during crises.
“We tend to think of electricity as a consumer product,” Cohen concluded, “but in reality, it’s a strategic weapon. And if we don’t ensure backup, storage, and decentralization, we may find ourselves in the dark, precisely when we need the light the most.”