Irish Examiner view: Turbine turbulence is any way the wind blows

Kerry has the highest number of wind turbines in the country, while others have few or none

Councillors say Kerry has the highest number of wind turbines in the country.

It is 30 years since Ireland’s first commercial wind farm was commissioned in Co Mayo. And despite a slow take-up, the generation of energy from wind power is one of the Republic’s success stories with nearly 90% of our renewables, and more than one third of our total supply, coming from this source.

We have limited fossil fuel opportunities and, anyway, with stringent climate change targets to meet, the proportion of power from wind has to increase. That will create tensions, partly due to the ratio between offshore and onshore turbines being unbalanced, and partly because some counties believe, with some justification, they contribute more than others.

Into this category falls Kerry, which has refused to open up more land for windfarms and wants to restrict them to two small areas in the south of the county near Kilgarvan. Its position was reaffirmed this week despite advice that it runs counter to the policies of the Planning Regulator.

Councillors say Kerry has the highest number of wind turbines in the country (364), while others have few or none.

No doubt there will be suggestions that Kerry sees “the bigger picture” and this may well be the argument promulgated by the Environment Minister Eamon Ryan.

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But in the end, as Dublin found over the peat dispute, all politics is local. Kerry councillors are unanimous in their opposition to allowing turbines to plant themselves wherever they will. Ryan will need to appreciate the “handle with care” notices on the letter he receives from Tralee.

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