Government ministry warns: State plan will cost lives
The Ministry of Environmental Protection warns that the Electricity Authority's plan to connect server farms to the grid will increase air pollution, add morbidity and mortality, and cost the economy about 3 billion shekels a year. In a letter obtained by N12, a senior deputy director general at the ministry also warns against advancing the depletion of natural gas reserves.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection warns that the Electricity Authority's plan to connect server farms to the electricity grid will increase air pollution, add morbidity and mortality, and cost the economy about 3 billion shekels a year. In a letter obtained by N12, senior deputy director general Shuli Nazer warns that implementing the plan will significantly increase electricity demand and lead to a more than 10% rise in air pollutant emissions. According to the estimate, the economic damage from morbidity, death, and lost workdays will amount to about 2 billion shekels a year, with over another billion from backup generators. Nazer also warns that the plan will accelerate the depletion of natural gas reserves by two to three years and increase the need to operate old, polluting coal-fired power plants. The letter was sent against the backdrop of the Prime Minister's Office's efforts to define server farms as national infrastructure. The Electricity Authority justifies the move by wanting to enable the sector's development and attract investments of over $100 billion. The Ministry of Environmental Protection demands that the farms be required to consume clean energy and that the renewable energy target be raised to 45% by 2035.