Only 3 Days Left to Submit your Views on Energy Policy in Ireland

GPEP

There’s only three days left to share your views and submissions on the Green Paper on Energy Policy. Members of the public and interested parties are invited to send in their views, observations and suggestions on the shape of Ireland’s future energy policy. You can read the Green Paper here. 

In 2012, we in Ireland spent €6,500,000,000 importing energy. That’s a huge sum of money leaving our country, and we all pay for it. Not only is the money leaving our pockets – it is also leaving our economy. That money could be better spent at home – it could invigorate the economic and social recovery that is the key focus for the Government over the next two years.

When we conserve energy by being more energy efficient, and when we use cleaner energy, we reduce Ireland’s emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. That’s not just an investment in our environment; it’s also an investment in the lives of our children and the world they will inherit from us.

The extraction and movement of energy has long conditioned our landscape – it has had its impacts on our woods and our bogs, and in creating landmarks like the lakes at Turlough Hill and the Poolbeg Stacks.

The question now is how much more visible should this part of our landscape be? Involving all citizens in debates on energy and climate change is central to policy development. In developing balanced and far reaching policies on areas such as grid development, the use of wind resources and streamlining public consent and permit procedures, it is important that past lessons are learnt and public concerns are addressed. The country is at an energy cross-roads.  The road we choose must address all of these needs. Together we must choose the route to a new energy for Ireland.

Submissions as part of the public consultation need to be in by 5.30pm on July 31st 2014. Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] or sent in writing to

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources,
Energy Planning Unit
29-31 Adelaide Road,
Dublin 2.