The natural resource of wind could provide Ireland with a renewable energy supply.
Four large wind farms along the west coast of Ireland could generate all the electricity needed by the country
The winds that blow across our small island make it one of the world's best locations for wind energy.
Professor Igor Shvets, Head of Applied Physics Research at Trinity College Dublin, says that Ireland has enough wind to generate sufficient electricity to run the country. Professor Schvets has set out a plan for Ireland to become energy independent within ten years. The proposal includes the of use ten pump storage hydroelectricity stations. One in use in County Wicklow uses electricity at off peak times to generate extra power that is released when the network is busy.
Ireland is currently spending €6 billion a year on imported fossil fuels. Ten per cent of energy used in Ireland comes from renewable sources at present. The government aims to increase that figure to 16 per cent by 2020.
The plan to become energy independent comes at a cost but savings could be made by cutting energy imports.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 December 2008. The reporter is Tadhg Enright.
