Sir, – Paula Byrne’s article “Wind energy is not the answer to Ireland’s emission problem” (Opinion & Analysis, March 6th) does not consider the opportunities that exist for Ireland through the development of wind energy and the implications if it were abandoned.
Currently Ireland has over 200 operational wind farms, which regularly power 60 per cent of Ireland’s electricity needs.
This is clean, reliable indigenous energy source generated in a country that otherwise relies on imports for 88 per cent of its energy needs at an estimated cost of €15 million a day.
Besides the obvious security issues of dependency on imports on this scale, under an EU Directive Ireland must meet a 16 per cent target of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2020.
Failure to reach these targets means Ireland faces effective fines of €100 million to €150 million per 1 per cent of agreed targets. Wind energy is best placed to deliver the bulk of the target for electricity at least cost to the consumer. Moreover, the EU is planning to expand the amount of energy delivered by renewables with targets growing to 27 per cent by 2030.
Ireland will need a mix of renewables, including wind, solar and bio-mass. The assertion that bio-mass can deliver all our renewable needs is not credible and has been discounted by experts on many occasions.
On the assertion that wind is “heavily subsidised” by the public service obligation levy (PSO). I would point out that the PSO guarantees electricity supply to customers and guarantees the service will be there when it is needed.
It provides a hedge against increasing fossil fuel prices and cost of the PSO is offset by reductions in wholesale prices.
Certainly, the wind industry needs to greatly expand its outreach and community engagement including examining community shared-ownership in wind energy projects but there are already great community schemes in existence, communities currently living side by side with wind developments and regions powered by the existence of this energy.
Renewable Energy is critical to Ireland’s long term economic growth and energy security and wind can rightfully play a central role in this.
In conclusion, we resolutely support the carrying out of a full economic review of the industry in Ireland if those who oppose the industry are prepared to accept its determinations. – Yours, etc,
ADAM LEDWITH,
Head of Communications,
Irish Wind Energy
Association,
Sycamore House,
Millennium Park,
Naas, Co Kildare.