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

Stopping the lights going out is our critical concern. The Deputy knows there has been much public commentary about this because we had two large gas plants down and auctions that had not delivered new back-up power, meaning we are very tight for the next number of years. I do not believe the details are finalised but in speaking with the ESB and others, it seems the ESB is looking at those two former stations. I understand one of them is starting to install some of the battery back-up systems that will give us the sort of capability to provide energy security. It means that in peak hours, such as the two-hour peak between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., we could have back-up capability to be able to reinforce the grid and keep voltage and frequency stability. There are many skills in the midlands in managing the grid and those two stations may well be very critical and useful in providing that back-up and system management services that electricity systems now need. It is in that regard I made the comments to a newspaper two weeks ago.

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