There are many regulations throughout
Europe that require a certain percentage of renewable energy a company is
required to produce, the closest target being 20% by the year 2020. Ireland has
come up with a plan to capitalize on these regulations: making renewable energy
one of their key exports. Pat Rabbitte, the Minister for Communications, Energy
and Natural Resources says that renewable energy is now a main priority of the
Ireland government. He claims “Ireland [has] a rich and abundant wind and ocean
energy potential which… can be harvested and exported as a real economic opportunity.”
Rabbitte also claims that these projects would create between 2,000 and 6,000
jobs in the construction phase and would also create jobs in routine
maintenance. There are a few obstacles they are facing, however. There has been “no decision on how the State
will participate or tax the sale of resources.” The issue of Britain’s European
Union membership is also slowing down the process.
This was a very interesting article because
it offers evidence debunking the claims made by those who have mobilized in
counter-action against renewable energies. They often claim that it is not
economically beneficial and that renewables will actually hurt the economy, but
if Ireland is able to go through with these projects and export their renewables,
they will be setting a precedent showing that renewable energy is not only
economically feasible, but beneficial to the economy and to the creation of
jobs, along with, of course, better for the environment. It is difficult to
understand why the United States seems to be allowing themselves to fall so far
behind in the race to renewable energy, especially when so much is at stake.
Article here
Jessie White
3/7/2013 2:00pm
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