The Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise has announced the largest renewable electricity generation programme in Ireland. The project will treble opportunities for commercial investors and community based projects.
Launching the initiative at the Irish Wind Energy Association's annual conference in Ennis, Joe Jacob said that his Department was providing market support for 255 megawatts of electricity generated from renewable sources. He said that this would contribute towards meeting Irish obligations under the Kyoto Protocol by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation.
Earlier, the Irish Wind Energy Association called on the Government to introduce extra taxes on fossil fuels. The association said that the extra taxes could be used to subsidise investment in alternative forms of energy, including wind power.
The Government has set a target of generating an extra 500 megawatts of wind power by 2005. The country's 18 wind farms, located mainly along the West Coast, currently produce 120 megawatts. The Irish Wind Energy association says that the Government's target will not be met unless a number of incentives are introduced to encourage more investment in wind power. These include: setting a reasonable fixed price for wind power and dealing with the planning difficulties surrounding the location and building of wind farms.
