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Ireland's Energy Policy Illustrated

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Energy Planning for National Security

The Government bio-energy plan was published at IRBEA Bio Energy Conference on 19th Jan 2007 in Portlaoise.

The Government task force was headed by Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey. Their job was to deliver a national plan on renewable energy.

Members of the group, which held its first meeting in July of last year, include Finance Minister Brian Cowen, Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan, Environment Minister Dick Roche, Transport Minister Martin Cullen and Enterprise Minister Micheal Martin.

This all sounds great so far with the trumpets and hoo - ha, except for the fact that the targets are miserable and useless targets.


The Government 2010 Targets

The targets to be reached by 2010 are as follows:

To have 15% of electricity generated by sustainable energy by 2010.
To have 5% of heat produced from renewable sources by 2010.
To have 5.75% of cars and trucks etc. using Bio-Diesel by 2010

The reality is just NOT being faced. That the planet will run out of oil in the near future. In the meantime any international crisis could interrupt our supply of oil, coal, and natural gas, and where would that leave us.

Energy Planning Needs to be on the Basis of National Security

This should Government Plan should be addressed on the basis of National Security. The security of this nation is in the hands of the Russians and the Arabs. It is also in the hand of international terrorism. Just a couple of big terror incidents would effectively plunge the world into a crisis and cut off our fuel.

My Tuppence Worth of Suggestions

I would suggest we consider the following targets:

30% Electricity by Wind and Bio-Mass by 2010
20% of heating by wood pellet, geo-thermal, and bio-mass by 2010
20% use of bio-diesel and ethanol in transport by 2010

If we achieved these figures, we might then avert a disaster in our economy and financial security, and in our infrastructural and physical security, when the BIG-DROP happens.


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