Ireland’s commitment to generating 20% of its electricity from ‘renewable’ sources by 2020 is to reduce CO2 emissions and contain to less than 2C the predicted global temperature rise.

DELAYS in the delivery of the long-promised REFIT energy scheme is holding up the development of an industry which could create thousands of rural jobs.

A NEW Government support price structure for bio- energy will boost the use of natural materials for the production of electricity, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan predicted when he announced the scheme yesterday.

A DECISION is urgently needed on the price the Government will pay peat power stations for burning biomass such as miscanthus.