ESB's transfer of power distribution to Eirgrid to happen?

[patslatt]

According to a reliable source in the electricity generation industry,it is government policy that ESB will transfer its power distribution system to Eirgrid by year end. But the transfer is not yet signed off on in a legally binding manner,apparently.

This transfer is important to create a level playing field for private electricity producers,such as the new green energy companies,which would be deterred from building plants dependant on ESB ,a competitor for the same electricity markets.

In my opinion,the ESB unions will flex their muscles a little with an implied threat to shut down the country and the government will cave in and postpone the transfer indefinitely. Witness the government's silence on the major disruptions to transport by the train drivers' Bolshie tactics on rostering and by the Air Traffic Controllers' threats of strikes.

[Auditor #9]

There's an article in the Sunday Business Post this week on this. I'll probably post it here later.
Article

[soubresauts]

According to a reliable source in the electricity generation industry,it is government policy that ESB will transfer its power distribution system to Eirgrid by year end. But the transfer is not yet signed off on in a legally binding manner,apparently...

Perhaps your "reliable source" has taken the almost unprecedented step of reading the Programme for Government, which states:

Energy Competitiveness
We will:
�� Deliver competition and consumer choice in the energy market in support of economic growth and national competitiveness.
�� Oversee the successful introduction of the Single Electricity Market in 2007.
�� Keep the electricity and gas network infrastructures, as strategic national assets, in State ownership and ensure that these
assets are never privatised.
�� Oversee the transfer of transmission assets to EirGrid, establishing it as the National Transmission Grid Company by end
2008.
�� Operate natural monopoly electricity network businesses under a risk-related related rate of return, leading to reduced
network tariffs which will be passed on in full to electricity customers.
�� Reduce the market power held by any one player in price-setting generation plants.
�� Ensure a sustainable future for the Semi-State Energy Enterprises.
etc. etc.

That's pretty clear, isn't it?

In my opinion,the ESB unions will flex their muscles a little with an implied threat to shut down the country and the government will cave in and postpone the transfer indefinitely...

We'll see.

[patslatt]

According to a reliable source in the electricity generation industry,it is government policy that ESB will transfer its power distribution system to Eirgrid by year end. But the transfer is not yet signed off on in a legally binding manner,apparently...

Perhaps your "reliable source" has taken the almost unprecedented step of reading the Programme for Government, which states:

Energy Competitiveness
We will:
􀂃 Deliver competition and consumer choice in the energy market in support of economic growth and national competitiveness.
􀂃 Oversee the successful introduction of the Single Electricity Market in 2007.
􀂃 Keep the electricity and gas network infrastructures, as strategic national assets, in State ownership and ensure that these
assets are never privatised.
􀂃 Oversee the transfer of transmission assets to EirGrid, establishing it as the National Transmission Grid Company by end
2008.
􀂃 Operate natural monopoly electricity network businesses under a risk-related related rate of return, leading to reduced
network tariffs which will be passed on in full to electricity customers.
􀂃 Reduce the market power held by any one player in price-setting generation plants.
􀂃 Ensure a sustainable future for the Semi-State Energy Enterprises.
etc. etc.

That's pretty clear, isn't it?

In my opinion,the ESB unions will flex their muscles a little with an implied threat to shut down the country and the government will cave in and postpone the transfer indefinitely...

We'll see.

That's pretty clear? Most things about good goverment are clear but implementation and execution are key,not just promises,which tend to be shelved a lot of the time.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I also believe the govt will cave in, but hope they don't.

[Auditor #9]

Ryan in ESB trade union stand-off
02 March 2008 By Niamh Connolly, Political Reporter
Energy minister Eamon Ryan and trade unions at ESB are heading for a stand-off over a plan to install electricity ‘smart meters’ in Irish homes.

ESB unions oppose the removal of the national electricity grid from ESB ownership and are refusing to meet the minister on the issue.

They are now linking the issue to Ryan’s plan for smart meters, which will cost €700 million to install.

Union spokesman Brendan Ogle said that Ryan would ‘‘find it hard to get support from elements within ESB’’ for the smart meters, unless he revised his position on transferring the transmission network from ESB to EirGrid.

Article in SBP

The Trade Union is going to play dirty with the smart meters. The GP or whichever party supports this re-structuring of the ESB/Eirgrid should now produce some data which makes it clear that there will be consumer savings with this or that the cost of electricity will be positively affected in some way - perhaps that the consumer will have more control over their electricity usage.

What do other parties particularly Labour and Sinn Fein feel about this? Especially as the grid will be nationalised...

[patslatt]

Ryan in ESB trade union stand-off
02 March 2008 By Niamh Connolly, Political Reporter
Energy minister Eamon Ryan and trade unions at ESB are heading for a stand-off over a plan to install electricity ‘smart meters’ in Irish homes.

ESB unions oppose the removal of the national electricity grid from ESB ownership and are refusing to meet the minister on the issue.

They are now linking the issue to Ryan’s plan for smart meters, which will cost €700 million to install.

Union spokesman Brendan Ogle said that Ryan would ‘‘find it hard to get support from elements within ESB’’ for the smart meters, unless he revised his position on transferring the transmission network from ESB to EirGrid.

Article in SBP

The Trade Union is going to play dirty with the smart meters. The GP or whichever party supports this re-structuring of the ESB/Eirgrid should now produce some data which makes it clear that there will be consumer savings with this or that the cost of electricity will be positively affected in some way - perhaps that the consumer will have more control over their electricity usage.

What do other parties particularly Labour and Sinn Fein feel about this? Especially as the grid will be nationalised...

Last Thursday,the government caved in to Ogre,oops Ogle, on the issue of transfer of the grid by postponing the transfer indefinitely. It appointed a consulting company to report on the issue,though everybody in the power industry except ESB favours the transfer.

The consultants really ought to report on the reasons for the government's lack of bottle. Maybe the government is preparing to take what it considers a tough line on social partnership pay negotiations (probably a soft line by anybody's standards) and doesn't want the negotiations distracted by ESB. Also, Harney may be about to sign off on a major reorganisation of the HSE into maybe the equivalent of four health boards if so recommended by McKinsey Consultants, a reorganisation that would require a degree of trade union cooperation.