Wind power can meet an increasing proportion of the State’s energy needs even as worldwide demand for energy rises, Maria van der Hoeven of the International Energy Agency said today.
She was speaking at the publication of the 2011 World Energy Outlook today at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin.
She said as demand grows, diversity provided energy security for countries by supplying different options.
For Ireland, energy diversity was likely to include a mix of wind power, liquid natural gas, and gas fields off the coast of Ireland.
Ms Van der Hoeven said the potential deployment of wind energy struck her as particularly impressive in Ireland.
The report highlights challenges that emerged for the global energy sector over the last year, including political turbulence in the Middle East and North Africa, Fukushima and the impact of the global economic downturn on climate issues.
Ms Van der Hoeven said persistent economic concerns, she said, had diverted attention from energy policy.
CO2 emissions have rebounded to record highs and the energy efficiency of the global economy worsened for the second year in a row.
If emissions continue to grow at the current rate, the International Energy Association said temperatures are on track to rise by 3.5 degrees.
Ms Van der Hoeven said political will was required to mitigate the effects of climate change and meet targets which seek to limit the temperature rise to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
“History has taught us that it’s possible to overcome these kind of troubles,” she said. The climate change problems would remain with or without financial crisis, she added.
According to the report energy consumption is expected to rise by one third between 2010 and 2035, in particular, in China and India are expected to grow rapidly.
Ms van der Hoeven said developed countries must “do what we can without waiting for others to do the same,” and emphasised new technologies can help emerging economies grow without starting at the same place on the learning curve as western nations.