Transport and Communications Committee discusses curbing energy costs

21 November 2012  

At the meeting, the committee discussed the impact on rising gas prices and renewable energy on the cost to electricity consumers.  
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the independent body responsible for overseeing the liberalisation of Ireland's energy sector. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was established as Ireland's national energy authority under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002 and plays a leading role in transforming Ireland into a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices.

Chairman of the Committee Tom Hayes TD says: “Our Committee is deeply concerned at the rise in electricity prices for families and businesses across the country. We thank both the CER and SEAI for a detailed presentation on the factors driving these rises in costs in recent years. We take on board the view that, as our electricity network is so dependent on natural gas, the 50 percent increase in world gas prices over the last two years are a main driver in costs.

“In mitigating our dependence on natural gas, renewable resources will play an ever more important role in our energy generation. The Committee is encouraged to hear of the advances in wind production, which accounted for 18 percent of all electricity produced in 2011. The development of a European Supergrid, of which the €600m interconnector between Ireland and Wales opened earlier in the year is a key part, will allow us to export clean energy to the UK by the end of the decade and to continental Europe further into the future. As well as helping us achieve our climate change targets, these developments will have a significant impact in lowering the price of electricity in the longer term.”

“The Committee acknowledges the argument that sustainable energy goals should always be led by energy efficiency. With wastage amounting to as much as 25 percent of overall electricity usage, we heard a detailed overview of efforts to make more efficient use of our energy, including the retrofitting of homes. Government supports, administered by SEAI, stimulated total investment in energy efficiency of over €250 million in 2011 alone, activity which supported almost 5000 jobs.”

For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353  87 694 9926

Committee Membership

Deputies
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
 Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
 Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
 Tom Fleming, Independent
 Noel Harrington, Fine Gael
 Tom Hayes, Fine Gael (Chairman)
 Colm Keaveney, Labour
 Seán Kenny, Labour
Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil
 Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
 John O’Mahony, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
 Ann Phelan, Labour
 Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
 
Senators
 Terry Brennan
 Sean D. Barrett
 Eamonn Coghlan
 Paschal Mooney
 Ned O’Sullivan
 John Whelan