Irish Examiner view: Waking the sleeping giant
Wind Eirgrid Winners First Edf Offshore Of Ireland's Week Picture: This The Renewables Auction Revealed
While gaining public commitment to the sacrifices involved in voluntarily reducing air travel will require the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job, there are other areas where success is achievable and will attract popular support and acclaim.
Among them are the attempts to awaken the slumbering giant of Irish energy policy — our potential for offshore wind power — and this week’s first auction for four planned farms in the Irish Sea and off the Connemara coast.
The milestone process, conducted under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), guarantees future prices and will deliver 12 terawatt hours per year, equivalent to more than a third of our 2023 electricity consumption.
The price secured is an average of €86.05/MWh compared to more than €200/MWh wholesale in Ireland over the past 12 months.
Bidders — Codling Wind Park, a joint venture between Fred Olsen Seawind and EDF Renewables; Cork-based Statkraft and its offshore partners Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP); Green Investment's Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta project; and Saorgus Energy-controlled Kish Offshore Wind and Bray Offshore Wind — placed their confidential offers to Eirgrid between April 27 and May 3.
This is good news. And we need more. The Government must step up its pump-priming and preparations if we are to receive the full benefits from a potential windfall.