Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The scale of change is beyond compare. Much of it will be offshore renewable power. In our case, it will be something like 35 GW of power in the next two decades at least. We are not alone in that. The UK is looking for a similar amount of power from its waters. Similarly, for the rest of north-west Europe, we are looking at up to 200 GW or 300 GW of offshore wind from the likes of the North Sea. Coming with that offshore wind will be a north-west regional electricity market grid. The North Seas countries' offshore grid initiative was signed ten years ago. It is now very much centre stage in the European Union's plans. It is critical we do not allow Brexit to divide the UK from that because we are an island behind an island and this balancing system will not work if the UK is excluded. I am working with my European colleagues on the European Council, which is meeting next week, where this matter is centre stage in what we talk to each other about. We are talking about further interconnection and using that North Seas offshore grid initiative system to create this regionally balanced electricity market.

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