The Green Party today launched its Energy policy and called on all political parties to engage in a partnership approach with the aim of establishing common long-term energy goals.<\/p>\n
Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD said today that, “With oil at over
\n$60 a barrel, and massive hikes in gas and electricity bills, we need
\nurgently to reduce our 90 per cent dependency on fossil fuels for our
\nenergy needs.<\/p>\n
“We are committed to working with other parties to make sure we address
\nthe energy problems facing us and realise the potential benefits of a
\nnew renewable energy policy. Since its foundation, the Green movement
\nhas put the development of energy efficiency and new renewable
\nresources at the heart of its political agenda.<\/p>\n
“The challenge for any serious energy policy maker is to try and ensure
\nwe have a cheap, secure and clean source of energy supply.
\nUnfortunately, a series of recent governments have shirked that
\nresponsibility.<\/p>\n
“Our vision is that by 2050 Ireland can depend on renewable energy
\nsupplies for all its energy needs. We will achieve that by being more
\nefficient in the way we use energy and by rapidly developing some of
\nthe 21 different renewable technologies available to us.”<\/p>\n
\nGreen Party Energy spokesperson Eamon Ryan TD said that, “Energy
\npolicymakers have to take a view several decades into the future but
\npoliticians rarely look beyond the next election. Countries such as
\nDenmark have got around this problem by getting cross-party agreement
\non certain long-term energy goals. We believe the opportunity now
\nexists for such an approach to be adopted here.<\/p>\n
“Involving industry and other representative bodies in such a
\npartnership approach would help create the predictable environment
\nwithin which households and businesses can invest in new energy
\nefficient technologies.<\/p>\n
“For example, six of the seven parties in the Danish Parliament have
\njust agreed a new Energy Savings in Buildings Initiative this summer.
\nThe measures include one-stop shop approach for the installation of
\ndomestic energy improvements. In a standard 1920’s house they estimate
\na 47% reduction in the energy use can be achieved, giving a €53,000
\npayback to the owner over 30 years on an initial borrowed investment of
\n€21,000.”<\/p>\n
“The Green Party has proposed that a new committee be set up under the
\nJoint Oireachtas Committee for Communications Marine and Natural
\nResources to develop such a partnership approach. Including members of
\nthe main political parties and outside bodies with an expertise in the
\nenergy area, it would collaborate directly with the Department on the
\nnew White Paper on Energy Policy.<\/p>\n
“This is about bringing policy formulation back to where it should
\nbelong, which is within Dáil Éireann. It is also about developing the
\nexisting partnership process so that crucial environmental issues are
\ntaken into account.<\/p>\n
“The people will not thank their political representatives if we fail
\nto properly address this crucial issue. Our dependency on fossil fuels
\nmakes us one of the most exposed countries in the world to any future
\nenergy shock. Our use of these scarce resources has increased
\ndramatically in recent years; however the contribution of renewable
\nenergies to our energy supply has remained static at less than 2%.<\/p>\n
“Our electricity prices are consequently significantly above the
\nEuropean average and the bill for carbon emissions from power
\ngeneration alone is likely to cost the taxpayer at least €50 million
\nnext year. Meanwhile 60 per cent of the energy used in power generation
\ncurrently disappears up the chimney in the form of unused waste heat.
\nThis is more than the entire amount of energy used in the Irish
\nresidential sector each year.”<\/p>\n
\nGreen Party Deputy Leader Cllr Mary White said that, “This new
\nrenewable energy future provides huge opportunities for Irish farmers.
\nNew biomass crops for power generation will provide the perfect
\ncomplement to the variable wind supplies that farmers should also be
\nable to develop.
\nExisting forests and new coppicing techniques can provide the wood pellets for new high tech wood heating systems.”<\/p>\n
“The Green Party has consistently called for the removal of the duty on
\nbiofuels so that this new industry becomes established. We would commit
\noil companies to including a minimum 5% blend of biofuels in any fuel
\nsupply With the closure of the Sugar Company the opportunity exists for
\nthe farmers to grow beet for bioethanol and oil seed rape for pure
\nplant oil or biodiesel. Exempting duty will allow the fledgling
\nindustry to get up and running, supporting farmers, protecting the
\nenvironment with a reduction in emissions. It is a win-win situation.<\/p>\n
“Transport will still be the area where we are going to have the
\ngreatest difficulty as oil supplies run out. Hydrogen supplies may
\nplay a role but the real solution must be a change in our planning
\nsystem so that the need for long distance commuting is reduced.”<\/p>\n
\nCllr. David Healy Green Party spokesperson on Climate Change said that,
\n“The success of the Montreal Climate talks last week mean that
\ndeveloped countries such as Ireland will have to start planning for
\ndeep cuts in our Greenhouse Gas emissions. The energy sector accounts
\nfor over two thirds of these emissions and it is an area where real
\nreductions can occur with potential benefits for our economy.<\/p>\n
“We need to reduce our Greenhouse Gas emissions to prevent further
\nenvironmental damage. Also, the reality is that we are facing an
\nimminent peak and subsequent drop in global oil production, which will
\nrequire us to kick our oil habit. Yet Ireland remains overly dependent
\non imported oil supplies and we are currently investing billions in
\ntaxpayer’s money in motorways which will not be needed as oil runs out.
\nWe need to rethink all of our investment decisions.<\/p>\n
“The Green Party is already making a real difference in implementing
\nthis energy policy on the ground. Fingal County Council, on foot of
\nmotions coming from the Green Party, is now requiring in its Local Area
\nPlans that all buildings would have a 50kWh per square metre annual
\nheating standard and that at least 30 per cent of this lower heating
\ndemand would come from renewable sources. This would mean that the
\nheating bill for a typical 150 m2 house would be less than €225 a year. The result will be better
\nbuildings and real economic and environmental gains for the local
\ncommunity.”<\/p>\n
\nInformation
\nEamon Ryan TD 01-618 3097 \/ 086 829 4429
\nCllr. Mary White 087 270 7189
\nTrevor Sargent TD 01-618 3465 \/ 087 254 7836
\nCllr David Healy 087 617 8852
\nElaine Walsh Press Office 087 914 8175<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Green Party today launched its Energy policy and called on all political parties to engage in a partnership approach with the aim of establishing common long-term energy goals. Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD said today that, “With oil at over $60 a barrel, and massive hikes in gas and electricity bills, we need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=90"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=90"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhealy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}