September 17th, 2017 Scientists and NGOs have reacted with dismay to a European decision to allow member states to increase their levels of timber harvesting up to 2030. On 13 September, the European Parliament passed an amended policy framework for future EU land use policy, particularly regarding forestry. Land Use, Read more…
September 5th, 2017 Community involvement is set to be at the center of the Government’s long-awaited revamped support scheme for renewable energy, although micro-generation will not be subsidised. Community participation, however, will be “designed into its very fabric” of the new scheme according to the Department of Communications, Climate Action Read more…
September 1, 2017 One of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs has called on the Taoiseach to follow through on his pledge to support the establishment of rooftop solar on residential properties across Ireland. According to Friends of the Earth (FoE) Ireland, Leo Varadkar was one of 6,000 to sign a petition Read more…
August 30th, 2017 The Solar Energy Future conference in Cork at the start of 2016 was a roaring success. The event brought together over 350 interested parties, encouraged by the recent drop in solar technology costs and the rise in policymakers’ interest in green energy. “The conference was upbeat and Read more…
August 30th, 2017 The Government’s long-awaited new renewable energy scheme must include support for household solar power, says one of Ireland’s leading climate policy analysts. A new cost-benefit analysis by Joseph Curtin, a research fellow at both the International and European Affairs and University College Cork, finds that solar panels Read more…
August 28, 2017 Solar industry insiders have warned that speculative applications for connection to the electricity grid are pushing farmer and community-led projects out of the market before the industry even takes off. According to Conor Walsh, a planning agent who works with farmers on small solar projects, larger developers Read more…
August 24th, 2017 At this week’s Energy in Agriculture conference, the Environmental Minister Denis Naughten announced that the long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme will go before cabinet next month. The RHI is aimed at larger industrial and commercial installations outside of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to change Read more…
August 24th, 2017 A lack of concrete details on the long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme has left little confidence in the establishment of a robust energy crop sector, the IFA’s renewables chairman has said. James Murphy’s comments came at Tuesday’s Energy in Agriculture conference in Gurteen Agricultural College, Co Tipperary. Environmental Read more…
August 9th, 2017 New EU emissions standards to tackle pollution from large combustion plants could “herald the closure” of Moneypoint power station, one of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs has said. Good Energies Alliance Ireland (GEAI) praised the adoption of new European Commission rules that will force Europe’s power plants to Read more…
August 4th, 2017 The Port of Cork Company has signed an agreement to explore the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US fracking industry. The Green Party has accused the Irish Government of backtracking on environmental commitments for allowing the deal to go ahead. The Greens said that Read more…
