Britain's future power shortage could spill over on Ireland

[Ecoguy]

. We could see the likes of Endesa who bought two of the ESB plants exporting power to the UK via the interconnectors - leading to a drop in supply to Ireland resulting in higher prices

Another example of bad planning by the Irish government

[mutley]

Here is an of the wall suggestion, why don't we invest in some natural energy, make it profitable, and make Britain dependant on us for energy,

Oh wait 90 billion, Nama, scratch that. Would 90 billion be a respectable investment into alternative energy?

[joel]

Another example of bad planning by the Irish government

Planning? - no, surely, its the "free market"?

[Ecoguy]

Planning? - no, surely, its the "free market"?

Which as we know have served this country so well with the likes of Eircom, banks, etc.

[Civic_critic2]

It seems to me we are being brought into a pan-european energy structure, just as we are integrated into a pan-european fishing and farming structure. I suspect that the resources below our sea floor are already marked out and planned for under this policy.

We the people are not privy to such details however and are left in ignorance to believe piecemeal changes are ad hoc irish-british affairs or merely commercial transactons.

[Ecoguy]

It seems to me we are being brought into a pan-european energy structure, just as we are integrated into a pan-european fishing and farming structure. I suspect that the resources below our sea floor are already marked out and planned for under this policy.

We the people are not privy to such details however and are left in ignorance to believe piecemeal changes are ad hoc irish-british affairs or merely commercial transactons.

Indeed - Ireland currently has all the clout at EU level as Rockall(or should that be FA)

[Civic_critic2]

Indeed - Ireland currently has all the clout at EU level as Rockall(or should that be FA)

I don't understand your point.

[wombat]

I was reading recently that many of those projects have been moth-balled or shut down in the last year due to the collapse in energy prices

Depends what stage they're at, there are environmental and capacity problems with these projects. Alberta had a boom in the 70's followed by a bust in the 80's and they're trying to avoid another - some people learn from their mistakes - even the Alberta conservatives who in general, make a FF backbencher look like Einstein.

[Ecoguy]

Depends what stage they're at, there are environmental and capacity problems with these projects.

There certainly is given the amount of lawsuits currently going through the courts on behalf of NGO's and even state governments in Canada.

[Ecoguy]

I don't understand your point.

The point I was making is that the Irish people appear to have no say in how are natural resources are used /abused at EU level or indeed government level: the EU's disastrous fisheries policy being a case in point