The Independent Farmers Organisation of Ireland has called for the “immediate dismissal” of Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan over the government’s energy policy.
The group said that there is a possibility of “a winter of great uncertainty” following the issuing of two amber alerts, which indicates a narrow gap between electricity supply and demand.
“For the first time since rural electrification in the 1950s the Irish people are faced with the prospects of blackouts due to a lack of capacity in the electricity system.
“The electricity equation is a very simple one, it’s basically supply and demand,” a spokesperson said.
Independent Farmers believe that government energy policy over the last three years has delivered a number of self-inflicted wounds to our electricity capacity.
It claimed that installed generating capacity would drop by 20% by 2025, while electricity demand could increase by 60% by 2030 due to data centres, the increase in electric vehicles (EVs) and electric-based heating systems.
The group raised concerns about the growing dependency on wind generation. “What happens when the wind doesn’t blow?” they asked.
Independent Farmers said that the government has reduced Ireland’s thermal capability by closing two peat-fired power stations, in Longford and Offaly, in 2020.
The group is also “truly struggling” with the decision to decommission the Derrybrien wind farm in Co. Galway, as it will further reduce Ireland’s energy generating capacity.
“The government has failed to ensure that adequate generation capacity exists to service the requirement of the data centres. Accordingly, the existing data centres have now eroded the buffer between installed capacity and system demand,” the group stated.
Independent Farmers claimed that the government would “scored yet another own goal” if the carbon offset from rooftop solar panels on farm building is allocated to the energy sector rather than agriculture.
“This government, and in particular minister [with responsibility] for energy, Eamon Ryan, is sleepwalking Ireland into a social and economic meltdown,” they claimed.