The Government is unlikely to meet its 2005 targets on green energy under the Kyoto Protocol unless it ensures that local authorities put in place strategic policies in relation to wind farms.
According to Mr Tim Cowhig, chairman of the Irish Wind Energy Association, "there is no consistency in planning decisions and clear, defined policies, identifying where wind-farm projects can proceed, is essential for the growth of the industry".
Mr Cowhig made his comments after a ruling by An Bord Pleanála to uphold a decision by Clare County Council to refuse planning permission for a €10 million, 245-foot high wind farm on the slopes of Slieve Callan in west Clare.
However, in the course of the assessment on the 11-turbine proposal, the policy of the council towards wind farms came under fire from the An Bord Pleanála inspector in the appeal.
In the Clare County Development Plan, upland areas of the county are designated "visually vulnerable" and in such areas wind farms and other developments are generally prohibited.
In the assessment, the inspector noted that with so many upland areas designated visually vulnerable in Clare, it was difficult to see where practicable alternatives could be found for wind farms in the county, having regard to the policy favouring such developments. In the application by Mr John Cleary, Inis Environmental Services, Edenvale, Ennis, the inspector recommended however that the applicant be refused planning because of his failure to indicate a route for the electricity connection. He said: "I consider that a wind farm development on the site would be acceptable if there was a clear demonstration that the electricity connection could be made without seriously increasing the visual impact of the wind farm."
The board upheld the recommendation of the inspector, stating that the proposal would seriously injure the landscape and the "visually vulnerable" and "visually sensitive" designated areas would be significantly degraded by the proposed wind farm. Of 11 applications for wind farms in Clare, only two have got the go-ahead from the council.
Mr Cowhig said Donegal and Kerry County Councils were putting in place policies for wind farms. "They are among the progressive councils and this should be done by every local authority. In the case of Kerry, however, we believe that their draft policy is too prescriptive and will make the development of wind farms very difficult." Twenty-two wind farms are operational in the State. Mr Cowhig said that under the Government's AER 5 scheme, an additional 10 to 15 wind farms had received planning approval.
"With the price the Government is offering for the green electricity generated by these proposals under AER 5, many of these schemes will not go ahead, because they are not viable with the prices offered."
Mr Cowhig said the Government must make the proposals viable through tax breaks and ensure that all local authorities adopted a strategic wind-farm policy, otherwise it would not meet its target of producing 500 megawatts through wind by 2005.
Globally, electricity generated by wind-energy has increased fivefold since 1995 with 23,300 mw - sufficient to meet the energy needs of 23 million people - being generated last year.
Germany leads the world in wind generated electricity with more than 6,000 mw. The US, which launched the modern wind-power industry in the early 1980s, follows with 4,150 mw, Spain is third with 4,150 mw and Denmark is fourth with 2,500 mw.
Denmark gets 18 per cent of its electricity from wind.
