1) In view of the ongoing increases in oil prices coupled with our growing dependancy on same - together with global warming issues - what is the Green Party’s vision regarding energy supply in the short and medium term?

The Green Party have a longterm vision for a 100% switch to renewable energy by 2050, with a 40% switch by 2020 in line with EU targets.   This would be based on total primary energy supply.   We would still be using fossil fuels in 2050 but the overall balancing percentage might  come from the renewable exports we might have at the time.  The other key to reaching this 100% renewable goal is to achieve a reduction in the amount of energy we use.   We believe we can achieve the EU targeted 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020 and that we should be looking to make a 1% efficiency gain each year after that to 2050.

In more immediate terms we are calling for a 20% usage of renewable energy for electricity generation by 2010.   Although electricity accounts for only one third of energy consumption, we realise the switch to renewables in the other two main areas, heating and transport may take slightly longer given the life time of existing vehicles and heating systems.      

2) Would you like to comment on the Government’s support of the development of alternative renewable energy resources?

The Government have utterly failed to develop the potential of renewable resources in this country. The AER system was flawed as it encouraged a bidding system for contracts which meant people bid so low for the contracts that they then could not finance the projects. The new Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff  price system is a step in the right direction, and it does provided much needed certainty  for renewable entrepreneurs.  However we would not have limited the scheme to 400 mega watts of power which is a fraction of what is possible and which makes no sense given that the energy regulator is already setting the price of the alternative fossil fuel power supplies at over seven cent per Kilowhatt hour as against the lower 5.7 cent pkwh for wind. . The Green Party would also extend the support mechanism to provide capital grants for domestic wood fired, solar and geothermal heating systems and would remove any cap on the excise duty exemption for biofuels.

3) Is it true that the Govt./ESB is in breach of an Eu Directive by not facilitating small scale electricity generators to connect to the grid?

We do believe that the Irish Government is in breach of the EU directive which has not in effect yet been properly transcribed into Irish Law.

4) The LP understands that it would make economic sense for the ESB and Edenderry Power to switch to co-firing with biomass (and perhaps meat & bone meal) but this is being delayed by long term contracts between B Na M and the power plants. A source has told the LP that an internal Gov. report recommends waiving of the peat contracts. What is the GP’s view?

The Green Party would look for the waiving of the peat contacts and the immediate use of biomass for co-firing in our peat power stations.

5) In relation to energy and transport costs, what is the GP’s view of expanding Dublin Airport?

Given that the Green Party believes that the peak and decline of global oil production is a matter of years rather than decades away, we do not beleive that the forecasted doubling of air passenger traffic in Dublin Airport by 2016 will be realised. We would scale back the development and expansion of the airport accordingly.