The Irish wind energy industry was "grinding to a halt" because the Government's focus was "big on developing policy and targets for renewable energy" rather than delivering results, it was claimed yesterday.
The annual conference of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was told that installation of wind turbines had fallen close to zero and Ireland "is now at serious risk of not reaching EU targets for renewable energy by 2010".
Some 13.2 per cent of Ireland's energy consumption must be from renewable energy sources by 2010, according to the 2001 EU directive on renewable energies.
Dr Aidan Forde, the association's policy committee chairman, said "wind energy costs cheaper than fossil fuel-generated power so if we don't develop wind power now we'll have to pay a lot of money" .
According to the IWEA, reasons for not reaching the targets include the Government's focus on offshore wind farms to the detriment of on-shore developments, planning difficulties with local authorities and An Bord Pleanála, and the lack of incentives for investment in renewable energy.
Dr Forde said ministerial speeches "never refer to results - just to targets and programmes. But progress is all that counts in the real world and the Minister [Mr Ahern] and his staff have not delivered." However, with some key changes to the way the Government has approached the wind energy industry in Ireland, as outlined in its 2002 policy document, he said the IWEA believes that the targets set by the EU can not only be achieved but also exceeded.
Dr Forde said there was a need to install a high-capacity link with the British national grid, more reliable forecasting of wind energy availability and provision for the "constraining-off" of wind farms at times of weak conditions.
