Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Tony Mulcahy has called on the Electric Ireland to replicate the decision of Bord Gais Energy to reduce its prices for gas and electricity.
Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts
Seanad Energy spokesperson calls for reduction in energy bills
Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Tony Mulcahy has called on the Regulator and energy companies to explain why electricity bills have not been reduced for customers in light of continued significant falls in gas and oil prices.
Energy upgrades announced for Limerick Regeneration area homes
Limerick City and County Council has announced that hundreds of homes are to undergo thermal upgrading in the Regeneration areas of the city.
Energy upgrades announced for Council dwellings
Senator Tony Mulcahy, Fine Gael's Seanad spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, has confirmed the allocation of €191,278 to Clare County Council to enable the local authority to carry out works to social housing stock.
Funding allocated for Clare energy projects
Clare Senator Tony Mulcahy says he has received confirmation from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) of its decision to allocate funding totalling almost €335,000 for two separate energy projects in County Clare.
Council welcomes wave energy project funding
The Chief Executive of Clare County Council has described the European Commission's decision to award €23 million to a wave energy project off the Clare coast as a positive endorsement of the polices adopted locally to support renewable energy production projects.
Clare Renewable Energy Strategy is approved
The Elected Members of Clare County Council today (Monday, 12 May 2014) approved a long-term strategy to harness County Clare’s renewable energy resources.
Limerick seminar discusses future investments in sustainable energy
Local Government representatives and energy experts from throughout Ireland and Europe gathered in Limerick County Hall this week to participate in a sustainable energy seminar.
County Clare develops Renewable Energy Strategy
Clare County Council today outlined plans to facilitate the development of Pumped Freshwater Hydro Energy Storage facilities similar to those already developed at Turlough Hill in County Wicklow.
Mulcahy confirms changes to home improvements scheme
Tony Mulcahy, T.D., Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, says an amendment made to the Finance Bill this week makes it easier for home owners to qualify for the Home Renovation Incentive Scheme.
Council secures funding for energy efficiency projects in Limerick
Three local projects are set to undergo significant energy improvement works after Limerick City & County Council’s Economic Development Section secured funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Energy upgrades announced for Ennis Town Council dwellings
Ennis Town Council announced this evening that it will shortly commence a major retrofitting programme that will result in almost 130 Ennis Town Council dwellings benefiting from energy upgrades.
Public sector works towards Energy Strategy for Mid-West
A major step towards creating a single Sustainable Energy Strategy for the Mid-West took place recently when senior public sector personnel from the Region and beyond participated in a workshop at the Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) campus in Thurles.
Search underway for Clare’s least energy efficient home
The search is on to locate the least energy efficient home in Clare as part of an EU pilot study focusing on the impacts of successive energy efficiency upgrade programmes on the County’s housing stock.
Minister Ryan Publishes Blueprint For Offshore Energy
Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today published the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan for public consultation. Ireland’s ocean territory is 10 times our land mass size. This Plan, in conjunction with the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Irish Waters also published today, looks at offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources and how that could be maximised in the years ahead.
Crucially, this work found that Ireland could produce up to 10 times our existing electricity demand without significant environmental impacts.
Announcing the plan at the Irish International Energy Conference – Pathway to 2050, Minister Ryan said, “This Government has begun an energy revolution. We have doubled the amount of renewable energy on our system and we want to go further.
Every megawatt of renewable energy that goes onto the Irish national grid reduces our €6 billion annual fossil fuel bill, reduces our carbon emissions and creates Irish jobs. Today’s study shows that we have a massive potential for renewable energy off our shores. Wind, wave and tidal off the Irish coast can produce 10 times our own electricity needs without adversely affecting the environment.
My Department is working to maximise this potential. Our recovery will be based on exports. Our capacity to produce this green electricity gives us major export potential. We are working with Scotland and Northern Ireland on the ISLES project to develop interconnection with these close neighbours. Working is advancing with 9 countries across Europe on the North Seas initiative to develop a ‘supergrid’ to trade this renewable power. At the end of this month I will travel to London to meet Secretary Huhne to work out a trading agreement with the United Kingdom on renewable energy.
We can create more power than we require if we go off our coasts. This is Ireland’s great export opportunity and we will work to realise it”.
The plan goes to public consultation around the country for 2 months where developers, investors and local communities can give their views.
Huge Possible Benefits in Offshore Drilling
The Minister for Natural Resources Conor Lenihan has today welcomed a report from the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association which emphasises the potential of Ireland’s offshore Gas and Oil resources. Commenting on the report, Minister Lenihan said “I am pleased to have the support of the offshore operators industry in my efforts to promote Ireland as an attractive destination for oil and gas exploration. The report is particularly timely following my visit to Singapore last week, where I showcased Ireland’s oil and gas exploration potential to a large global audience at the Oil & Gas Investment Asia conference”.
Whilst in Asia the Minister took the opportunity to brief senior executives from the largest Asian oil companies about the prospects in the Irish offshore where he delivered a strong message that as well as our offshore having lots of exploration potential, Ireland is a politically stable economy, with a competitive tax regime, in which their business will flourish.
“Since becoming Minister for Natural Resources last year I have made it a priority to actively promote this area of my portfolio. I have engaged constructively with the industry to improve and streamline the regulatory and administrative environment for oil and gas exploration, a fact which is acknowledged in the report”.
“This pro-active approach is also reflected in the 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round which I launched earlier this year. This innovative round will be Ireland’s largest to date, covering an area of just over a quarter of a million square kilometres including a number of large sedimentary basins with proven petroleum prospectivity.”
Minister Lenihan also noted the extensive research that has taken place as part of the new exploration regime, involving collaboration between researchers in Ireland and Canada alike, saying “I opened an important research conference for the petroleum industry on Tuesday and during my speech I emphasised the importance of in-depth, comprehensive research if we are to attract exploration companies to Ireland. Potential investors need to be aware of any geological challenges or indeed opportunities that may exist, before they consider drilling in deep water conditions.”
Topaz Takes Joint Control Of Shell Aviation Ireland
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of joint control by Topaz Energy Group Limited of Ireland over Shell Aviation Ireland Limited (SAIL), currently wholly-owned by Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell Group). The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
SAIL markets aviation fuels in Ireland and is wholly owned by Asiatic Petroleum Company Dublin, a holding company that belongs to the Shell Group. Shell Group is active in the worldwide exploration, production, and sale of oil and natural gas, the production and sale of oil products and chemicals, power generation, and the production of energy from renewable sources.
Topaz is an independent Irish oil company that sells petroleum products in Ireland. It also owns import and logistics assets in Ireland connected with the marketing and distribution of fuels and petroleum products.
The Commission examined in particular (i) the horizontal overlap between the activity of SAIL and Topaz on the market of ex-refinery sales of aviation fuels in Ireland and (ii) the vertical relationship between Topaz's activity on the upstream market for ex-refinery sales of aviation fuels and SAIL's activity on the downstream market for into-plane services at Dublin and Cork airports.
The Commission's investigation confirmed that the proposed transaction would not close off the market to competition and does not raise vertical concerns, due to the existing business relationship between Topaz and SAIL and the presence of large suppliers on the markets.
The proposed transaction was notified to the Commission for regulatory clearance in the EEA on 28 September 2010. More information on the case will be available at:
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