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21 August 2007
By Harry McGee, Political Editor
IRELAND will become the world leader of Government-led renewable technology and energy conservation within five years, the Minister for Communications and Energy has vowed.
In his most in-depth interview since taking up office, the Green Party's Eamon Ryan says that 20 years after the idea for an international financial services centre (IFSC) went from nothing to reality, he wants to effect the same revolution in the energy market.
Mr Ryan spells out for the first time how he will achieve and surpass the Government's ambitious targets to cut CO2 emissions by 3% per annum, achieve energy savings of 20% by 2020, and to have 33% of all electricity supplied by renewable energy within a decade.
Mr Ryan told the Irish Examiner that it would be a daunting task, but that he was willing to take risks to radically transform the country's approach to energy policy.
He said that under his watch every home in the country will have a smart meter which will reward consumers for switching off appliances like freezers and air conditioners and allow customers to sell unused electricity back to the grid.
He said that it would also involve radical change for the ESB: "We will be saying to the ESB. We have a different model here. The mark of your success is how little you sell, not how much.
"If it successfully uses new technology like smart metering, the ESB can sell that to the rest of the world," he said.
The minister said that the bulk of renewables would come from wind power (which already provides 10% of our electricity needs), but said he was determined that Ireland should lead the world in tidal and wave energy.
"Soon after I started, I brought in 80 companies that are involved in the energy area and told them they could become world leaders.
"There are 23 renewable technologies. It's very hard to know which will work. I will certainly give it a good go. We could be the world leader in wave and tide technology and could be ahead of the game in other areas."
On the controversy surrounding the proposed pipe and gas terminal in North Mayo, Mr Ryan accepts that the row has been divisive and damaging to all concerned. However, he said that as minister he was not in a position to make pronouncements before the planning application was lodged. He said that there has been some progress, but not much of it has been seen.
"Going back a year, the Green Party is not saying anything different now than it was saying then," he said.
He also revealed he has future leadership ambitions within the Greens. "Of course it crosses your mind. Nobody goes into politics without thinking of it."