In 2009, the U.S. and Israel initiated BIRD Energy, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOE), jointly with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). BIRD Energy has successfully implemented U.S.-Israel R&D collaboration in renewable energy and energy efficiency by funding joint projects between U.S. and Israeli companies (one from each country), with the goal of commercializing innovative technologies.

The expansion of U.S.-Israel energy cooperation was authorized under the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, which included authorization for the establishment of a joint U.S.-Israel Energy Center.

In 2016, the Israeli Government approved the expansion of U.S.-Israel energy cooperation, providing funding until 2024.

In June 2018, the DOE and MOE signed an Implementation Agreement for the U.S.-Israel Energy Center, fully named the “U.S.-Israel Center of Excellence for Energy, Engineering, and Water Technology”. The goal of the Energy Center is to promote energy security and economic development through research and development of innovative energy technologies, by facilitating expanded cooperation between consortia of U.S. and Israeli companies, universities, and research institutions.

In Israel, the Energy Center is managed jointly by the MOE and the IIA. The DOE, MOE, and IIA selected the BIRD Foundation to manage the Energy Center.
The Energy Center is a 5-year program, which in its first round covered four Topics: Fossil Energy, Energy Storage, Energy Cyber, and Energy-Water Nexus. For each Topic, a consortium of U.S. and Israeli companies, universities, and/or research institutions collaborates on research and development, fostering know-how and technology transfer from academia to industry, and significantly accelerating technology deployment. The first selected consortia are now approaching the end of their funding period.

In January 2026, a new call for proposals was issued, focusing on three Topics: Fossil Energy, Energy Storage, and Energy-Water Nexus. The funding structure covers a three-year period, with an optional two-year extension subject to EC stakeholders’ approval, consortium performance in the first three years, and availability of funds.