Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I did not hear Mr. Manley's presentation, but reading the document, the first thing that jumped out at me was that it is stated that while the evidence is that microgeneration will have minimal direct impact on reduced carbon emissions or on our renewable targets, it is an opportunity for citizens to play their part. This statement does not provide any encouragement regarding the changeover from the massive production of power we see through carbon emissions to where we need to get to, which is what Ms Ruddock and the people from Tipperary described, namely, people buying into the microgeneration of electricity and seeing it as being part of life and something from which their communities and families can gain. According to Mr. Manley's logic, the only reason there would be a problem is that it undermines the idea that the State always encourages and supports the large generators rather than the community and individually based generators of supply.

It links in with the question put to Mr. Manley by the Chairman about why NIMBYism around this exists. The reason there is NIMBYism around the generation of electricity in somebody's background is obvious. It is because it involves massive noisy towers standing over somebody's home when it is evident that there is no facility to encourage localised and community-based production. Mr. Manley's submission really says it. Surely the idea that a reduction in demand from the grid because of micro-energy would result in higher prices for everybody else is a product of throwing the electricity market wide open. We did not have had that problem when we just had the ESB, but now that the market is open to all this vicious competition, that is the reason a reduction in the demand from the grid would mean that everybody else has to pay more because the Department is concerned about the profits of the large generators. If the State is keen on reducing our CO2 emissions and hitting our targets, it would not take this position. It would take a different position and say this is exciting and possible and will give communities in the Aran Islands access to the grid instead of shutting it down.

When we moved an amendment to the Energy Act two years ago to permit communities like those on the Aran Islands to gain access to the grid, we were told we could not have that. Ms Ruddock mentioned schools and the production of solar power. Students in a wonderful school in Sutton carried out a brilliant project proving how they could generate enough power to fuel their school and make money if they could get access to the grid. This is precisely the sort of model about which Ms Ruddock spoke, but they still meet a blank wall. I think this flies in the face of any genuine sincerity about reaching our targets on CO2 emissions and being able to keep our house in order on that level. That is a lot of criticism but the Department's position is a contradiction and I would like Mr. Manley to explain it. It is worth listening to groups like Friends of the Earth and Tipperary Energy Agency and its experience of delivering micro-energy rather than thinking it must all be about the large powerhouses.