Dr. John Curtis:

In terms of the merits of future exploration, the ESRI has done a lot of work on the energy sector, particularly the electricity sector and the associated economics. The ESRI, along with engineer colleagues in UCC and UCD, analysed the integration of more renewables and wind energy, and modelled out to 2050. To keep the lights on through that period, and even with a move to net zero carbon, we will need fossil fuels, particularly gas. We may have aspirations for electric vehicles and all the rest but we will rely on fossil fuels for quite a while to keep the economy going.