Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 5 October 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed)

Ms Aoife MacEvilly:

The Senator asked about the source of the other 20% of our energy that is not from renewables. We will have more interconnection with the UK and France. We will have more batteries on the system, system services and demand sites. We will have all of that. During the winter when it is cold, still and dark and we are not getting solar power, we will rely on gas-fired generation. That is why, as Mr. McGowan said, it is important to think about the security of gas supply. That is of greater importance now as it becomes the primary back-up fuel and as we start electrifying heating and transport.