The Energy Infrastructure Policy Statement by Minister Pat Rabbitte is welcomed and timely. The capacity of the electricity grid has remained largely unchanged for 20 years, yet there has been a growth of around 150% in the demand being carried by the system. The recent electricity outages in India which have left over 600 million without power are a timely warning of the consequences of inaction.
The Grid 25 programme should be implemented to safeguard the competitiveness of the Irish economy and to maintain standards of living. Unfortunately there are those who will seek to object to all development in their back yards; we see the placards whether we drive across the country – ‘No pylons here’. It is up to all of us who value our current standard of living and evidence based decisions to counter these luddites; the picture of what is happening in India perhaps can be used as a reality check.