Dempsey 'concerned' about possible power black-outs

Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, said today that he is concerned about the risk of electricity black-outs.

He said that although the country is not facing a crisis, the energy situation is “very tight” as demand matches supply.

The comments came after the IDA warned that the construction of electricity interconnectors to the UK must be speeded up to stave off major power shortages.

Responding to a Green Paper on energy published in October, the IDA said that links to the UK need to be fast-tracked and in place before 2010.

Mr Dempsey said: “The supply situation is very, very tight. It is part of the reason why we initiated this process.

“The supply is very tight. We do need to get more competition into the market, we need to get greater security of supply, that’s why we are working so diligently on the single electricity market ... and why recently we have been pushing to ensure we have new power stations on the system by 2009.”

The ESB has also said that black-outs will happen next winter unless extra power stations are built immediately.

Two new power stations are planned for 2009, and Mr Dempsey said he wanted to see a third.

But he insisted that he had been given assurances that there is not a serious danger of black-outs between now and then.

He said that provided a single electricity market was in place and plans for a third power plant were accepted, energy shortages could be avoided.

“There is a tight balance, and it’s certainly one that I would be concerned about and one that the Government would be very conscious of,” Mr Dempsey said.

“It’s for all of those reasons that we have initiated the process that we have in place.”

New electricity links to the UK are due to be completed by 2012.

In the Green Paper – the first stage in the preparation of legislation – the Minister said 30% of energy supplies should come from renewables by 2020.

Homes, factories and transport must also become more energy efficient. The White Paper on energy is due early next year.