"Green" policies are destroying this country

From that article: "Overall, renewable energy supply fell by 8 per cent last year, as energy from wind generation dropped by 15 per cent due to the low-wind conditions, leading to the greater use of coal and oil."

What a surprise, fluctuating wind! So yes, more emissions from the reliables. Duh..So, instead of cutting emissions they went up. The proposed solution: controlling the citizens while keeping big businesses/transport running.btw, that's over 80% of energy use in Ireland for the latter. And please, do not take a shower between 5 and 8 pm. Do it in the middle of the night. Set the alarm! Also a great time to run your washing machine. Put in some earplugs. Job done, less guilt..😄

It`s even more astounding that greens still haven`t copped on that when the wind is not blowing wind turbines generate sfa. Last year electricity demand rose by 4.3%, wind energy dropped by 15.8%.

The green answer to the problem. Throw 1 million EV`s and 600,000 heat pumps at the demand side while building an unknown and un-costed number of turbines based on nothing other than hope they eventually get it right, where last year alone had we 16 times the number of turbines it would not have covered even demand then.

Just what Ireland needs, and for that matter the rest of Europe right now. Energy policy in the hands of a cult that cannot even do basic arithmetic.

What would we do without the MNCs? €34 million per annum + administration costs all courtesy of the "golden goose" to whom we rent out our sitting room.

As both a working musician and a part time music teacher just about making my own money to live none of that Arts funds will go my way. I always wonder what criteria they have for handing out free money. To me it looks like the same arts program they had in Holland in which 'artists' were required to produce x amount of works per annum and got paid for doing so with basically no criteria. Seems an expensive dole like funding. So, artists who cant earn enough money get support. Those who do dont. Should i now just give up my work, produce a few 'works' per year, have all the time exploring my creative side and get paid for it, the equivalent of the first Covid payment? Looks like a sweet deal. I have my own proposal: struggling artist are sent to hospices, hospitals, any place the public might have need for them and do some proper community work. There are quite a number of people that continue to get Arts grands to do their stuff, year on year because they know somebody on the Arts Council. Basically i think artists should be making their own money or take a job to support themselves. It is not the case that there are no jobs around is it? So yes, another great Green middle class idea..

We have one of the best wind resources of any country in the world

You're objection to renewables in Ireland, is like someone saying to Saudi in the 1920s 'We've drilled 10 wells and 6 of them were dry, Lets just build Coal power stations"

There's a thing called Critical mass. It is on the adoption curve of any new technology. Slow adoption curves while the technology matures, then exponential growth, until the old tech is completely obsolete. Oil reached critical mass in the early 20th century. Donkeys and horses of the world celebrated, but they were sent out to pasture. Oil and Gas and dominated for 90 years before we burned most of it and are left looking for something to replace it. Renewables are approaching critical mass but renewables don't run out. Renewables are the future. Oil and Gas are the past.

We need to upgrade the grid.

Well, that's optional, we only need to do it if we want reliable electricity piped into everyone's home

That requires investment. Privatisation of utilities have starved them of long term investment. We're left holding the can now, but we are where we are.

Grid modernisation is essential. You can decide what economic model to apply to the modernisation project, that's a valid debate, but the fact that it's necessary is beyond dispute.

Several options - When there is storage on the grid, it can balance out the demand over the full day. This means we don't need as many generators because we're not generating to cover the peak, we're generating to cover the average demand with grid servicing balancing out demand through storage and interconnectors.

1. Store it in batteries. Not Grid scale, but local scale. (cars recharge when demand is low, industry and grid servicing recharge local storage when prices are low)
2. Load shedding. Get people/Commercial/industrial users to use the power when it's abundant, and delay using it when it's over subscribed.
3. Efficiency increases. - Better insulation, more efficient lighting, heating and transport.
4. Green Hydrogen - use extra energy to electrolyse hydrogen - this can then be stored for the rare events where there is a continent wide shortage of renewable energy.
5. Desalination - use excess renewable power to drive desalination of sea water. Fresh drinking water will be worth more than oil in decades to come)
6. Interconnectors - sell surplus and buy when supply is low
7. Pumped Hydro - use the existing facilities plus maybe add some more according to our geography
8. Solar - complimentary to wind, usually solar is higher when wind power is lower
9. Biomass
10. Nuclear (via interconnectors)
11. Domestic generation and storage reducing peak demand
12. Commercial grid servicing providers using storage to store surplus renewable energy to sell when demand is high
13. Smart meters
14. many more options I haven't had time to go through