Seven clean energy projects have received $6.4 million in funding from a joint US-Israel research and development fund, Israel Hayom has learned.
The US Department of Energy, Israel's Energy Ministry, and the Israel Innovation Authority chose the projects as part of the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program.
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The projects are valued at $15.4 million, which includes $9 million of cost-share funding from the companies selected for funding, BIRD said in a statement.
The BIRD Energy program was launched in 2009. Since then and including the projects announced Sunday, it has funded 49 projects with a total joint government investment of $38 million.
Some $49 million in matching funds come from the private sector.
Selected projects address energy challenges and opportunities that are of interest to both Israel and the US and focus on commercializing clean energy technologies that create jobs and support innovative companies, the statement said.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said that the US-Israel collaboration within BIRD "enables both countries to promote joint development of technologies in diversified areas, and bringing them to commercialization in a short time."
"The joint projects that have won this round of financing presented promising technological innovations that address clean energy challenges in both countries and worldwide," Israel Innovation Authority Director Aharon Aharon said in the statement.
A statement by US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said: "The BIRD Energy program continues to deliver results, to the benefit of both the United States and Israel. The innovative clean energy companies awarded to date have commercialized seven new energy technologies and attracted more than $450 million in follow-on investment, creating jobs in both countries."
