On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will be partnering with the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to provide $4 million in funding for clean energy proposals. The funding will be provided by the Binational Industrial Research & Development (BIRD) Foundation energy program. The BIRD initiative seeks to foster U.S.-Israeli innovation through strategic partnerships.
Between 2009 and 2020, BIRD funded 55 joint projects worth a total of $42 million with an additional $55 million coming from private sector resources, including venture capital funds eager to capitalize sustainable energy projects.
Innovative technologies that have reached the commercialization phase include self-powered wireless sensors that monitor energy use in buildings, an enzyme used for biodiesel fuel, and a system that is able to forecast output speed for wind-power generation.
“BIRD Energy has a demonstrated record of success driving innovation in renewable energy and energy efficiency that will help us combat the climate crisis,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm.
BIRD bills itself as supporting "industrial R&D in all sectors of the hi-tech industry which are of mutual benefit to the U.S. and Israel."