Green energy has potential to create 600,000 new EU jobs

I WISH to correct assertions by Aidan McMahon (‘Renewables aid does more harm than good’, Letters, March 30) when he quoted research from Spain in a curious attempt at rebutting the need for public aid to capitalise on the vast opportunity presented by the renewable energy sector for the Irish economy.

In quoting this “research”, Mr McMahon failed to acknowledge that the methodology used in the study was widely criticised on its publication in 2009. The reality is that the study is largely based on assumptions, few of them documented or proven. The research does not point to any job losses that are directly attributable to investment in renewable energy.

As the Wall Street Journal reported at the time: “The study doesn’t actually identify those jobs allegedly destroyed by renewable energy spending. What the study actually says is that government spending on renewable energy is less than half as efficient at job creation as private sector spending.”