Thursday, October 22, 2009

Need to expand on offshore energy highlighted
In this section »
Cowen would like agreement on new Ceann ComhairleTaoiseach defends right to pick commissionerFormer Fás head should 'pay back money to exchequer'Ex-minister had attic altered to hold gifts, says KennyPension insolvency scheme being worked on - HanafinCall for voting rights for established immigrantsPAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentJOINT COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS: IRELAND IS falling well behind other countries in the development of offshore renewable energy, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The target of producing 40 per cent of our energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 is easily achieveable, David Manning, public affairs manager of Airtricity, told the Joint Committee on communications, energy and natural resources. However, progress was urgently needed in creating the grid to deliver this energy to customers.

Mr Manning said its windfarm off Arklow was currently producing 25 megawatts of electricity and could be expanded to provide 500 MW, or more than 10 per cent of the total renewable energy target. However, there was no grid in place to handle this volume

He said offshore projects were "way down the list" of projects being assessed by the Commission for Energy Regulation and would not be considered for some years.

However if the situation regarding the grid was resolved the expansion of the Arklow windfarm was "ready to go".

Britain and Ireland are jointly looking at the development of an offshore grid for both islands, he said, but the UK was going ahead with the development of its own grid. One option would be for Ireland to develop its offshore energy and to feed this into the UK grid, at least initially.

Airtricity now has 100,000 electricity customers who have switched from the ESB following the deregulation of the market, the committee also heard. The ESB has almost 2 million customers and Bord Gáis 200,000.

Airtricity chief executive Kevin Greenhorn said the company was looking at the option of allowing customers to be billed and to pay their electricity bills via mobile phone.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest
22:28
Fulham caught late by Roma22:07
Berg leaves Celtic with mountain to climb22:00
Shakhtar breeze past Toulouse21:52
Anti-BNP campaigners picket BBC21:27
Woman killed in Offaly stabbing21:20
Cork may get early revenge21:16
Man killed in Sligo road crash20:49
Doubts cast on Iranian nuclear dealPopular Stories
Most ReadMost Emailed1
Why renting is the new buying2
Northern Irish tycoon jailed in US3
French restrict access to tickets4
Civil servants take 11 sick days5
Three more people die from swine flu virus in Republic1
Why renting is the new buying2
Dublin office rents down by 40%3
French restrict access to tickets4
Woman (42) died from shower head injury, inquest told5
McCartney to play O2 in DecemberYour Vote
« YesNo »ResultsAre you in favour of the proposed reduction in drink-driving limits? Crossword Club »
Today's Interactive Irish Times Crosaire and Simplex crosswords, plus 10 years of crossword archive.Mobile Services »
News alerts and crossword solutions to your phone.ADVERTISEMENT

No comments: