Wind energy like ‘oil wells in the sky’ - SEI

The wind energy sector in Ireland has the potential to be a €1bn annual industry by 2010, supplying one million homes with electricity, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).

At present, there are 29 operational wind farms, with an installed capacity of 170 MW supplying over 110,000 homes and businesses with clean electricity.

However, Ireland has the potential to increase that figure to over 1,600 MW, with a minimum investment in grid upgrade.

This in turn could create an industry worth €1bn each year, sustaining almost 1,000 permanent jobs and saving 4.3mn tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In the short term the Government's target is to generate an additional 500 MW of electricity mainly from wind by 2005 according to SEI, the authority charged with promoting and assisting the development of sustainable energy.

Speaking on the eve of its annual conference, Paul Kellett said: "Ireland has one of Europe’s best wind regimes, but we have been slow to harness the full potential.

"Our weekly energy bill is a worrying €100m and rising, as is our growing dependence on oil.

"Ireland’s vast and largely untapped wind resource is like having an oil well in the sky," Kellett added.

This year’s SEI conference is being held in Sligo and will run until Friday, November 14.