Renewables aid does more harm than good

THE Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) believes this is a make-or-break year for the green economy, as quoted by the Irish Examiner (March 22).

It may interest your readers to know the evidence from Spain is that public aid for the green economy does more harm than good for the wider economy.

That’s the conclusion of a 2009 report from the Juan Carlos University in Madrid, entitled Study of the Effects on Employment of Public Aid to Renewablel Energy Sources.

Some key points from the study are:

* Just one in 10 jobs created are in actual operation and maintenance of the renewable sources of energy. Two in every three jobs are in construction, fabrication and installation.

* Each green job created results in the destruction of 2.2 jobs elsewhere in the economy. Principally, the high cost of subsidised renewable electricity affects costs of production and employment levels in other areas such as food processing.

* State-established price systems create serious bubble potential, as Spain is now experiencing.

Renewables consume enormous taxpayer resources.

This report is available on the internet. Based on its findings, state subsidies for renewables such as wind energy should be avoided at all cost.

Aidan McMahon

Strand Road

Falcarragh

Co Donegal