4 days ago
Political opposition hinders electricity projects
Political opposition continues to hinder projects designed to guarantee electricity supplies and aid the Republic in hitting
climate targets,
TDs and senators heard on Wednesday.
Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of industry group, Wind Energy Ireland, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, that Eirgrid's north-south interconnector, which has cleared all planning hurdles, continued to face opposition.
'There is a general consensus that investment in national grid projects is good, but when it comes to local level, that gets challenged,' he said.
Mr Cunniffe pointed out that both Dáil deputies and councillors tended to oppose electricity projects at local level.
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Justin Moran, the organisation's director of external affairs, argued that 'opposition to grid projects is not a victimless crime'.
He was responding to committee members who raised this week's news that families cannot move into new homes in Portlaoise, Co Laois, because their estate does not have electricity connections.
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Mr Moran pointed out that while EirGrid received permission for plans to boost the national electricity grid supplying Laois and Kilkenny in 2014, continued opposition meant that work was only under way now.
Nicholas Tarrant, managing director, ESB Networks, said 'there are places on the network where there is limited capacity, and we are working on that'.
They include Portlaoise, other similar towns along with areas such as Dublin north and west, according to the State company boss.
Regulators are weighing proposals to allow ESB Networks to spend €11.6 billion up to 2030 on boosting the systems that supply electricity to homes and businesses.
