A report published today has said that investing in renewable energy now, will help to cushion countries from another energy price shock.
It also pointed out that long term deals to import Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) will only lead to long term dependence on on energy source that has already been shown to be extremely volatile.
This highlights that the governments strategy around LNG is deeply flawed, and do little to protect Ireland from future energy crises, says Lynn Boylan MEP.
The report says that renewables could cut gas demand by a quarter by 2030, which is double the saving that LNG exports could provide in the same time.
“Renewable energy is more secure, and much cheaper than relying on fossil fuels, which are usually imported from overseas.
“Ireland has massive, untapped potential for a renewable energy supply, but the government approach is underutilising it.
“Instead of aggressively investing in renewables, they’re backing a state led LNG terminal.
The government has stated that this new LNG infrastructure is about energy security, but Lynn points out that the the terminal does not hep make Ireland energy independent as it will still be used for importing LNG from abroad.
“The Governments plan doesn’t prioritises security, affordability or sustainability – just corporate bottom line for gas and LNG giants.
“Rather than building up our capacity for cleaner energy that we can generate and use ourselves, we’re destroying the planet for more expensive, more risky, and more scarce resources.
“To tackle the extortionate prices we pay for our energy in Ireland, and to secure true energy independence, the government needs to invest in renewable technologies across the island.
“We saw that other countries managed to lessen the impact of the latest energy crisis because they invested in their renewables, its long past time for the Irish government to do the same.”
