Clare Fm - Podcasts

The President of Shannon Chamber has accused politicial representatives of "putting up obstacles" to renewable energy progress. With confirmation being given in the Dáil that sites for offshore wind development off Clare's coast will be zoned next year, key stakeholders are expressing frustration with the pace at which progress is being made. Launched last June, the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce report identifies harvesting 30 gigawatts on Atlantic wind energy by 2050 as one of its primary goals. This, it's stated, would satisfy Ireland's current electricity demand five times over, while the process would create an estimated 10,000 green jobs in this region by 2035. Responding to Inagh Green Party Senator Róisín Garvey in the Dáil, Green Party Minister of State for the Environment Ossian Smyth has confirmed that a map to zone areas off Clare's coast for offshore wind projects, known as a Designated Maritime Area Plan, or DMAP, will begin next year. The ESB has been granted planning permission to con