THE ESB's decision to invest billions of euro in renewable energy is more significant than the building of the Ardnacrusha power station in the 1920s, according to the Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources.
Ardnacrusha was the most significant infrastructure project in the early history of the State. Built in 1929 on the Shannon Estuary, it was the largest hydroelectric plant in the country at the time.
In Dublin yesterday, Éamon Ryan said the decision was a "signal that this whole country is ready to take part in the retreat from fossil fuels."
The ESB is to invest €22 billion over the next 12 years in Ireland's electricity infrastructure. Half will either be in renewables or in developing the electricity grid for the expansion of renewable energy.
The ESB intends to generate a third of electricity from renewable sources including wind, wave, tidal and biomass systems by 2020.
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