ESB needs to review its nuclear option

ESB chief executive Padraig McManus said recently that Ireland would need a nuclear power station because by 2035 our electricity demand would be 10,000 megawatts, a figure obtained by extrapolating past growth in electricity demand.

He claims also that electric cars are the answer to the problems of unavailability of oil and greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the energy used by transport at present is roughly the same as electricity consumption, and growing at the same rate. Therefore, the energy needed for electric cars in 2035 will require an electricity demand of double the figure he gives. I hope this occurs to someone in the ESB so they can amend their purchase order from one to two nuclear power stations!