Eirgrid are to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security Committee to discuss infrastructure and grid planning
Chief executive of the national grid operator Dermot Byrne, chairwoman Bernie Gray, and Andrew Cooke, director of Grid Development and Commercial, will appear before the committee tomorrow.
The company will updating members of the committee on the State's progress towards renewable energy targets, the future electricity generation portfolio, linkage with other power systems, and the development of grid infrastructure in terms of job creation, renewable energy, meeting climate change targets, and competitive supplies for consumers.
In a statement, Sean Barrett, chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, said: “The Government has ambitious targets of meeting 42 per cent of our electricity requirements from renewable energy, largely wind power, over the next 12 years.
"To achieve this target will require a major upgrading of our national electricity transmission network as high power lines will be needed to link the Western seaboard, where the bulk of the energy will be generated, to the east coast where they will link up with the proposed interconnector with Wales.”
Eirgrid, in co-operation with Northern Ireland Electricity, is planning to build a high power network through counties Meath, Cavan and Monaghan to Tyrone.
Eirgrid also recently got approval green light for its planned €600 million power link between Wales and Ireland. The link with Wales will allow for the import and export of excess wind power and also improve security of supply in Ireland.”