A new report to be published today on behalf of engineers in the ESB will urge that nuclear power be considered in a debate on future energy provision.
It is understood that the report, drawn up by the trade union Amicus on behalf of 600 engineering and professional staff in the ESB, will raise questions about the efficiency of wind-generated energy and call for the establishment of a national energy agency.
Informed sources said that the report will say that clean coal technology and nuclear power are low emission fuel sources.
It will argue that clean coal needs government support to help offset development costs while nuclear power needs to be debated in an honest and open manner with prudent decisions implemented after such a debate.
It is understood that the report will contend that as an island nation, Ireland needs to consider nuclear in the fuel mix.
It is expected to maintain that the controversy over Sellafield and legal challenges on this issue by Ireland in the international courts have turned public opinion away from a rational debate on nuclear power.
Sources said the report would maintain that using nuclear-generated energy imported into Ireland via inter-connectors was "an Irish Government solution to an Irish problem" .
It will argue that the issue needed to be seriously considered now as it would take a significant amount of time to plan and build a nuclear power plant here.
The Amicus report is expected to say that the right-sized nuclear power station for Ireland would be in the region of 600-800mw and that the cost of constructing such a facility would be between 10 and 50 per cent higher than for a conventional coal or gas-fired plant.
The estimated cost of such a facility is between €700 million and €1.2 billion but such plants have much lower running costs.
However, the report will maintain that nuclear power does present an accident risk and that there are important issues on the management and disposal of nuclear waste products.
The Amicus report is also expected to urge that the country should maximise renewable energy.
It will say that Ireland is ideally situated to generate a significant amount of electricity from wind.
However, it is expected to warn about the costs and limitations of integrating significant wind power into the current electricity grid.
The report will also call for the introduction of measures aimed at reducing energy consumption.
It is expected to suggest that energy conservation be included in the education curriculum and that energy advisers be made available to industry.
It is expected to recommend incentives to encourage greater energy efficiency in the home.
The report is also expected to call for a review of the Government's current policy to encourage competition in the electricity sector.
It will point out that when the ESB was the sole supplier of electricity in the State prices were among the lowest in Europe but that after seven years of forced competition they are now among the highest in Europe.
