Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses, who I hope have alleviated some of the concerns of committee members. The matter that has not really been addressed is the cost. Basically, energy costs over the winter are still a concern, not just this winter but going forward. Could we have the perspective of the witnesses on the cheapest form of energy? I know the answer is probably renewables but what part will they play over the next few years? How will the regulator play a part in reducing energy bills?

It is quite clear from the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 that the key areas in which the regulator is involved include running these kinds of auctions. Going back to the last auction and even previous auctions, did the regulator have any idea there may be challenges in meeting the demand it was seeking?

With regard to EirGrid and data centres, it is good to see people are reviewing their policies. The Government has already said it is renewing its data centre policy but is it fair to say EirGrid does not just give connections without terms and conditions and really looking at the supply in a particular time, or at least a projection of supply down the road? When was the last time an offer was made to a data centre that was taken up? There is perception that these are happening on a weekly basis, so I would like to have a better understanding of when the last offer was made and accepted.

On the question of regional issues with the grid, we had before us witnesses last week that would have spoken about the fact we really do not have that kind of industry in the west of Ireland and there is, on the other hand, much energy being used close to Dublin. What are the intentions in this respect to shift that balance, given that there may be energy loss as it is moved across the country? That is certainly my lay person's interpretation.