Short on details, long on ambition - Energy policy paper

BECAUSE successive Irish governments have been notorious for an almost complete disregard for long-term planning, a frisson of anticipation had swept through environmental circles when it emerged the minister with responsibility for energy was preparing a plan that would take Ireland up to the 21st century.

Regrettably, it appears Energy Minister Alex White has missed a golden opportunity to put his mark on Ireland’s future in this context.

The white paper unveiled yesterday lacks specific and realistic targets and timelines to inform a concerned public on reducing our heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels. Nobody expects the minister to have a crystal ball or predict with any degree of accuracy what is likely to happen between now and 2100, the 85-year timespan covered by the white paper. But it should not be beyond the resources of his department to do a better job of informing them how Ireland will reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of Europe’s move towards greater reliance on renewable forms of energy such as wind power and hydro electricity.

Coming hot on the heels of last weekend’s UN summit in Paris at which nearly 200 nations hammered out a pact aimed at reducing global warming by minimising the use of fossil fuels, this is a disappointing document. In contrast with the summit where fractions counted, it is vague and framed in extremely general terms, long on aspiration and frustratingly short on the kind of detail that people want to know. The only certainty is that energy bills will be higher when Ireland moves away from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Emphasising that this country has enormous potential to harness renewable sources, including the potential for solar power in Cork, Waterford and Wexford, he predicted that by the end of this century the country would have no fossil fuels.

On the face of it, the policy paper contributes little to furthering debate on the question of whether or not this country should use nuclear fuel. Presumably, that will happen when UK electricity is flowing into the national grid through the planned interconnector with Northern Ireland. When the nuclear question was raised during yesterday’s press briefing , the minister said he would await the outcome of an evaluation, though he doubted if Ireland was large enough to accommodate a nuclear power station.

Similarly, it fails to throw light on the possibility of extracting oil on land by fracking, which involves using high-powered jets of water containing chemicals to fracture the ground . Mr White said he would await the outcome of an evaluation currently being conducted by the EPA before making any decision on oil extraction by fracturing.

Referring to the 2020 target of 50,000 electric vehicles on Ireland’s roads, the minister admits the current figure of 700 is “disappointing”. It is hard to see how that target can be achieved. It is even harder to see how Ireland can reduce one fifth of carbon greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and avoid EU fines. Without the kind of detailed targets and achievable goals one would expect to be in such a policy document, it can only be described as an environmental waste of paper.