Ireland – Government urges to put wind power top of the energy agenda

The Government was tonight urged to put wind power top of the energy agenda after a state agency warned Ireland may need a nuclear power plant to meet its electricity demands. The Irish Wind Energy Association called on authorities to prioritise renewable sources after Forfas warned Ireland was facing a liquid fuel crisis in the next 15 years. Tim Cowhig, IWEA chairman, said the study raised serious concerns about the security of supply and price stability. “We call on the Government to address this issue as a matter of urgency if all the hard work of the Celtic Tiger years is not to be wasted. Renewables, especially wind, can significantly reduce Ireland’s dependency on oil,” he said. “To achieve the maximum penetration of wind we have to plan for it now and abandon the present ad hoc approach to our energy decisions. “Action is required now to ensure we can address the problem of our oil dependency in a proper fashion and plan for the energy requirements of future generations.”

The Forfas Oil Dependency Study also pointed out that Ireland is the sixth most dependant country in the EU for using oil to generate electricity. And the body, which advises the Government on enterprise, trade and innovation, said Ireland was now more heavily dependent on imported oil for energy requirements than almost every other European country. It also warned the world is approaching a point termed ‘Peak Oil’, where global oil production can no longer be increased. The IWEA said the report’s findings showed how the Government must give more priority to renewable energy sources, particularly wind power. Forfas noted that despite Ireland having fewer cars per capita than the EU average we consume 50% more oil per capita for transport than the European average. Irish people use cars more intensively than other Europeans due to longer commuting distances and poor public transport facilities.